Coyote Talks
by Lady Bethia
Summary: Jim is forced to go on vacation by Simon because of his erratic behavior. His senses have been going ballistic because of a two week stake out in the woods. He went to the hospital to be checked out but the doctors could not find anything wrong with him.
1. Default Chapter

Title: Coyote Talks Author: Lady Bethia Series: Partnership Series E-Mail: lady-bethia@yahoo.com Pairings: Ratings: PG 13 Warnings: Mild Adult Language Disclaimers: I do not own the Sentinel - Pet Fly Productions does. I am just borrowing the characters and abilities. And I promise to return them in good order maybe. I am making no money off this either it's just for fun. Thanks to Susan Foster for getting me hooked on Sentinel/X-Men crossovers. This is my retelling of how and where Blair and Jim first meet. It is set in an AU where the X-Men exist as well. Though in this chapter there will be no mention of the X-Men. Summary: Jim is forced to go on vacation by Simon because of his erratic behavior. His senses have been going ballistic because of a two week stake out in the woods. He went to the hospital to be checked out but the doctors could not find anything wrong with him.  
  
COYOTE TALKS  
Chapter 1: Bad Day  
  
Alright, alright! I'll go on vacation Sir." Jim growled at Simon as he threw up his hands in defeat. He was tired, just plain tired of having the same old fight with Simon. Why couldn't Simon see that this was not helping? Everything that could possible go wrong for him had for the past year. First, Carolyn asked for a divorce from their failing marriage. Then his partner got killed. Now his body was conspiring against him. Food tasted wrong, strange smells, irregular temperatures, every little noise sounding like a gun shot and worst of all the headaches from his light sensitive eyes.  
  
He was really beginning to think he was going crazy after all. Even the doctors had to admit that they could find nothing wrong with him physically and thought it might all be in his head.  
  
"Good, now, where do you plan to go?" Simon demanded as he sat back in his chair and stared at his best detective, number one pain in the ass and friend. He stuffed a half smoked unlit cigar in his mouth and gave Jim his full undivided attention. Simon was not allowed to smoke in the office any more but he still carried his cigars around as a sign of his rebellion against this particular rule - No smoking in any governmental building.  
  
"Hell, I don't know yet Sir. Give me some time to think about it." He replied as he began pacing up and down like a caged jungle cat.  
  
"Stop that," Simon commanded as he pointed out that Jim had started pacing again with a wave of his hand. "You have until tomorrow afternoon to tell me where you're going," he said through teeth clenched around the cigar, "or I will make your vacation plans for you. Do you understand? Now get out of my office and do some work while you are still here." Simon barked affectively dismissing Ellison.  
  
"Sir, yes Sir," said Jim in full military voice and action as he left the office in a worse mood than when he went in. It wasn't bad enough that his case load had doubled since the death of his partner. Now, he was hearing and seeing weird things again like when he was in Peru. The black jaguar was stalking him again. And if he told anyone about it they would put him away for good.  
  
Jim stomped over to his desk and sat down heavily. He glowered at the pile of files like they had personally offended him. The files did not take the hint, of course, so Jim decided that he would go home and try and get some work done there. The bullpen was just too full of distractions and noise. Furthermore, the lights were giving him a worse headache than he had had in several weeks.  
  
"Hey, Jim. You ok man? You don't look so good." Henri, the grunge detective, asked.  
  
He and Rafe had taken to keeping a very close eye on him. It annoyed Jim that they felt that he should have a babysitter but he also knew they meant well. But right now he wanted them out of his face. Jim looked up at Henri and his partner Rafe, the GQ wannabe, and gave them his coldest glacial glare. "I am fine." He growled belligerently at them as he stood up, collected some of the case files, his coat and left.  
  
"Gees, did it just go to 20 below in here or what? If he doesn't snap out of this he's gonna have to be committed for our safety." Henri replied following the formidable detective with his eyes out the door of Major Crime bullpen.  
  
"You've got that straight. Maybe we should talk to Simon about him?" Rafe asked in a very concerned voice. He was at wits end trying to find a way to help his friend. "He needs some help and it looks like he won't ask for it."  
  
"No Simon knows. He'll take care of him." Henri replied. "At least I hope he does man."  
  
"I hope so too. We need him too much here to have him completely fall apart." Rafe confessed. "Damn I wish Pendergrast," Jim's dead partner, "was here. Jim really needs him. He is just too much for us to handle when he blows."  
  
----------  
  
"Son of a bitch!" Jim yelled as he swerved because some of the lights in the on coming traffic were too bright for him, to Jim's eyes the regular headlights looked like high beams. "Damn fools are you trying to kill people!"  
  
Jim finally turned off of Prospect Avenue and into the parking lot of the loft without killing or damaging anyone or thing, though it had been close a couple of times. Jim wasn't the best driver on a good day but when he was sick with a migraine he was ten times worse.  
  
Inside the building, he approached the elevator on the ground floor to find that it had another sign on it, this time it said, 'Out of order- for the 5th ****ing time this month!' Jim snickered. He was very tempted to buy the whole building just to make sure the elevator worked all the time. But he wasn't sure that a working elevator and the undying gratitude of his fellow tenants was a good enough reason to open the trust fund that he was pointedly ignoring. He wanted nothing from his old man least of all his money; money that may well have been partially earned illegally if rumors were to be believed.  
  
'At least everything else about the building was in good repair and the neighborhood was still good,' thought Jim.  
  
Once inside of the apartment, Jim began to methodically divest himself of his coat, shoes and keys. The coat went on the hook beside the door. The shoes were lined up under the coat and the keys went into the basket on the bookcase beside the door. With that ritual done, he then went over to the kitchen table and put down the files he brought home from work.  
  
Feeling too restless to start working on the cases immediately, he prowled around the apartment. Looking at everything touching everything, he went from one room to the next until he ended up on the balcony outside of his bedroom window. He scanned the area around the loft. He knew he was missing something, something important and it was killing him because he could not find it or even figure out what it was.  
  
Soon though his stomach growled and woke him from the light zone he had fallen into as he stared out at the city surrounding his third floor loft. So, he walked back into the apartment and down the stairs to the kitchen to make a snack when he looked at the clock and realized that three hours had passed. 'God I am loosing it. I was on the balcony for three hours.' He thought in alarm.  
  
He turned and glanced back up the stairs because he thought he felt someone watching him and then did a double take. "What the hell?" He said as he thought he saw the black Jaguar climbing the stairs to his room. "Damn I am going nuts." He said with a sigh. Wiping his eyes and shaking his head, he went into the kitchen to fix a late dinner.  
  
Dinner was another frozen tasteless box alone methodically eaten and not enjoyed. He was feeling sorry for himself and his so called life. He moved as one who simply had to get the task over with to start the next.  
  
'Carolyn I wish you were still here,' he thought dejectedly before getting up, throwing the empty frozen dinner package away, washing the silverware in the sink, putting it away and going into the living room.  
  
Making up his mind to get this vacation thing over and done with, he stomped over to his desk and pulled open the map drawer. He closed his eyes and reached in and took out a map. Upon opening his eyes, he discovered that he had pulled out a map of Colorado. 'Well at least Colorado is an interesting state.' He thought.  
  
He very carefully opened the map and taped it to the wall over the dart board which was the only thing hanging on the walls of the loft. Reaching over to the dart case sitting on the bookcase, he pulled out a dart and walked to the middle of the room. He closed his eyes and threw the dart. "Wherever it lands on the map, is where the hell I'm going." Jim stated morosely.  
  
The dart landed on Mesa Verde National Park.  
  
Now he could go to bed and in the morning he could tell Simon to climb off his back. Having decided where he was going for his vacation, he planned to go to the bookstore in the morning and get some travel books on Colorado. So, he went to bed exhausted but relieved and was finally able to get some restful sleep.  
  
Now that plans had been set in motion, the jaguar could happily go about his business since his person was now the right path.  
  
**********  
  
The next morning found Jim standing, like a prisoner waiting for release, in front of the Waldenbooks Store at the Old Brook Mall waiting for it to open. When they did, he headed straight to the travel section and picked up a couple of books on Colorado. Finally, he could plan this trip and get it over with. "Though I don't know how much this vacation is really going to help me." He muttered to him self.  
  
Jim left the store with his purchases feeling a little bit better now that he had accomplished something even if it was only to make is Captain and friend happy. Suddenly he was startled out of his almost happy thoughts of getting Simon off his back when he heard a strange purring sound behind him. Quickly turning around, he saw the shadow of a large cat slink around the corner away from him down a service corridor. Jim ran after it only to find it had disappeared. 'Damn it. I really am loosing my mind.' Jim thought as he rubbed his hand through his hair on the top of his head and left the mall to report to Simon about his plans. 


	2. Coyote Talks chp 2

Title: Coyote Talks Author: Lady Bethia Series: Partnership Series E-Mail: lady-bethia@yahoo.com Pairings: Ratings: PG Warnings: Disclaimers: I do not own the Sentinel - Pet Fly Productions does. I am just borrowing the characters and abilities. And I promise to return them in good order maybe. I am making no money off this either it's just for fun. Thanks to Susan Foster for getting me hooked on Sentinel/X-Men crossovers. This is my retelling of how and where Blair and Jim first meet. It is set in an AU where the X-Men exist as well. Though in this story there will be no mention of the X-Men. Dr. Phil Shannon, and the Indians named are my characters. Summary: Blair is invited to go on a very special dig on the Mountain Ute reservation in the southwest corner of Colorado. The native Archaeologist thinks that his people have a Shaman Temple/Cliff dwelling that is similar in function to the Guide Temple found by Blair and Dr. Stoddard in South America. Notes: Some of the myths and information will be true and some is just made up. Don't take all of what you read here as fact. I love Mesa Verde and ruins there. People mentioned in the hierarchy of the tribe are just made up characters.  
  
COYOTE TALKS  
Chapter 2: Ute Mountain  
  
June 1st:  
  
"Welcome to the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation. I am Dr. Paul Harris the local archeologist for my people. I hope that you didn't have too much trouble finding your way here. We were very excited that you three accepted our invitation to help with setting up this dig. I am familiar with Rainier's excellent reputation and I know that you will abide by our laws and customs." Paul said formally but with a friendly smile as he shook everyone's hand.  
  
"Now if you will follow me Dr. Stoddard, Dr. Shannon and Mr. Sandburg we will go into the council hall. I have a meeting set up with a few of the council members of my tribe that you will need to know before we start to work." He pointed toward the building across the street from the parking lot.  
  
"How did you happen to hear about our discovery Dr. Harris? And what makes you think that your cliff dwelling had a similar purpose? Or that your people had Sentinels and Guides?" Blair asked excitedly as he bounced along side of Paul. Blair was shorter than Dr. Harris by a good eight inches but his bouncing stride kept up well with the doctor's longer one.  
  
"Please just call me Paul. I read about your discovery on the Rainier internet news site. I acquired my bachelors' degree from Rainier and finished with my masters and doctorate at Denver. So I keep up with the news from Rainier." He replied as he warmed up to the friendly young man walking beside him, correct that bouncing. Blair reminded him of one of his cousins in fact now that he looked more closely at him he even looked a little bit like Jason if Jason had a white half brother.  
  
"You can call me Blair." He said with a big happy puppy smile. "I can't wait to see the site. I've been reading up on the history of this area and I must admit that it's quite fascinating. Almost inaccessible cliff dwellings with two, three and even four story tall buildings made of hand carved stone bricks and timbers. Even more interesting is the fact that some of the timbers came from as far away as 50 miles as the crow flies; vast pueblos on top of some of the mesas. It is all incredible." Blair rambled on. He took in his surroundings excitedly and asked, "Do your people think that they maybe some of the descendants of the Anasazi?"  
  
"Anasazi is a Navaho word meaning 'old ones' or 'ancient ones'. Our history and legends state that the dwellings built by the Anasazi were here long before we came to the area and that we should avoid them because the spirits of the dead would be angered with our trespassing there. Though some believe that we are the descendants of the people who built the cliff dwellings; we all agree that a great deal of our heritage has been lost to us so no one knows for sure." Paul explained.  
  
"Why, if your people say it is forbidden to go to these places, do you now want to not only go to this particular site but conduct a dig?" Dr. Shannon inquired. "Shaman very rarely change their minds when it comes to something as important as sacred relics and places. What has happened that this place must be disturbed?" He asked as they stepped into the council hall.  
  
"I can answer all of your questions and if I can not the elders can." A large heavy set Native American man of about 50 years old replied with a warm smile on his friendly and grandfatherly face. "Greetings and welcome to our home. I am Jack Lame Horse the Chief of the Ute people. Please sit and we will explain everything as best as we can. Please take a seat." He said again while indicating with his hand the place where they were to be seated.  
  
A shy young Ute woman dressed in a beautiful multi colored skirt and white peasant blouse entered the room from one of the other doors carrying a tray with glasses, ice tea and a plate of fry bread with honey and powered sugar on the side. She set it down next to the Chief, bowed her head and left without looking at anyone or seeming to notice Blair trying to get her attention with his cutest smile.  
  
"Would any of you like some ice tea or fry bread before we start?" The Chief asked.  
  
A chorus of yes please or no please came from around the table.  
  
After the food and drinks were served the Chief began, "Now, I would like to introduce the shamans and elders of our tribe to you. Bill Long Arrow, Mark Kill Bear and Sandy Red Bird are three of our most important elders and keepers of the records for the tribe. John and Jim Broken Rock, Sam Red Deer and Chuck Harris are the shamans as well as elders of the tribe." Lame Horse introduced all of the people seated around the table.  
  
"The reason that you have been summoned and asked to help with the site is that the shamans have been experiencing dreams as well as going on spirit walks that have lead us to believe that the dwellings of the Animal Shamans must be opened and all the knowledge with in is to be known again by the people. The shamans believe that a great danger is fast approaching and the Guardian Warriors will once more return to the people to guard and protect us." Lame Horse said and then looked at Sam Red Deer for further comments.  
  
"Sam can you help me out with a further explanation?" He asked the shaman on his left as he sat down.  
  
"I shall try my best Paul. I am unfamiliar with you two doctors. What is your knowledge and understanding when it comes to the spirit world and shamans?" He asked in all seriousness seemingly ignoring Blair.  
  
"I am Dr. Phil Shannon and my field of expertise is shamanic studies. I am a shaman of my people - the Cherokee. Though I am only a quarter blood, my family has a long tradition of being elders and shamans." Dr. Shannon finished and looked at Dr. Stoddard.  
  
"I am Dr. Eli Stoddard. I have no training as a shaman as my colleague has but I have worked with many tribal elders and shaman in the past. My own beliefs are Christian and I am an elder of my church community. But as an anthropologist I have seen many miracles worked through the holy men and women of many different religions and hold these people in the highest esteem." Dr. Stoddard stated solemnly and then looked at Blair.  
  
The shaman interrupted Blair before he could even start by holding up his hand and frowning. "You young man, do not need to tell us about yourself. We know of you." Sam said with annoyance bordering on disgust crossing his ancient features.  
  
Blair looked at Sam Red Deer with uncertainty not knowing how he could have made an enemy of this man. Blair still confused glanced at Dr. Stoddard and shrugged his shoulders. "I am not sure what you mean by that sir?" He asked the shaman as he turned back to look at him.  
  
"It will all be revealed in time to you my boy. Don't worry, your path will be hard but there will be those who will share it with you and take care of you," stated the only woman, Sandy Red Bird, at the table. She was smiling fondly at Blair. "All you need do is find the black panther."  
  
"Find the black panther? Why do I get the feeling that I am being set up here sir?" He asked as he shifted to face Eli. Dr. Stoddard was just as confused and only shook his head completely bewildered by what the shaman and elder had said.  
  
"You are not being set up for anything young man," said Jim Broken Rock the youngest of the Native Americans present. "I have seen you in a recent Spirit walk standing beside that of a mighty warrior who will be your best friend and protector. The two of you will guide and guard your tribe."  
  
Sam Red Deer snorted and stated. "It could be well into the future before you could possibly become a shaman strong enough to handle a Guardian Warrior." Facing the other elders he continued, "I have serious doubts that this one is 'The Animal Shaman' we are expecting. The one I have seen is heavier and has a different feel of power from him though I was never able to see that one clearly unlike Sandburg."  
  
"Yes there are others who will be coming here as well. We must prepare the way for all of them. But you must not let your dislike of people long dead color the people who are here and now that need our help and guidance." John admonished.  
  
Blair hoped that he was misunderstanding what the shamans were saying. So he answered, "I am not Native American. I'm Jewish." Blair was still confused but getting excited by the minute. The Shaman where having dreams about him doing something important and maybe even having a Sentinel as a friend. But still the suspense and the formality and cryptic remarks made at this meeting were wearing on the usually bouncy Anthropology student. Looking around at everyone, Blair saw that almost all of the Indians were looking at him with the same fondness and familiarity that they would have towards one of their own young men who had done well. Because of this he was becoming more and more nervous. He felt like there was something important that they were not telling him. He wanted this meeting over so he could find out what ever it was that he was missing or needed to know. Breaking Blair's focus Dr. Shannon asked another question.  
  
"What are the guardian warriors and what danger are you talking about?" Dr. Shannon inquired trying to get the discussion back on course and off of the infamous Sandburg. Dr. Shannon was just barely tolerant of Blair. He found him entirely too hyper and disorganized.  
  
"The Guardian Warriors are not like the regular warriors of our people's history. They had powers that no one else possessed. But the only way they could use or control those powers successfully was to become one with a shaman for life. Some of the shamans were even more powerful than a normal shaman. And only the most powerful of the Guardian warriors would bond with them. They were called the Animal Shaman. It was said that they could even take some of the powers of their Warrior and use them themselves." Chuck Harris, the oldest shaman, stopped to see if the professors were showing any signs of understanding what he was taking about. They did so he continued.  
  
"The last of the Animal Shaman and his Guardian Warrior died about one hundred years ago. Along with all their teachings and knowledge, but we have always preserved the knowledge of where the Animal Shaman's dwellings were." He pointed to Blair and continued, "You must go to the dwellings and help rediscover the old traditions to save us all."  
  
Blair, Dr. Stoddard and Dr. Shannon all looked at each other and then at the people around the table. Dr. Stoddard cleared his throat and replied. "We will do what we can to help you. That is why we have come here. We are always interested in finding and preserving knowledge of all kinds. And you were right by the sounds of things; you have a tradition of what we call Sentinels and Guides or Shaman. It will be most exciting to see the dwellings first hand and record what is there. But why in particular is Blair needed."  
  
Blair sighed in relief. Dr. Stoddard was going to make them tell why they all appeared to know and like Blair with one exception and with out ever having met him before.  
  
"Because Blair, we believe that you are to be the first Animal Shaman in one hundred years. And yes you do have more than just Jewish blood running thru your veins. You are one quarter Ute." Sandy Red Bird relayed to the astonishment of Blair.  
  
Blair stared at the woman like she was out of her mind.  
  
"Your mother is Naomi Sandburg is it not?" Sandy asked very gently.  
  
"Yes." Blair replied almost too softly to hear.  
  
"She never told you who your father was did she?" She asked sadly.  
  
"No, she didn't. Do you know why she didn't?" He blurted out. The sad lost look of pain on his face was enough to make both Sandy and Eli want to cry for the young man.  
  
"Blair are you all right?" Eli asked as he got up and stood behind Blair and put a hand on each shoulder.  
  
"Yes I think I do. She was afraid of his family - us. Though there really was no reason to be. I would never have allowed any harm come to my great nephew or his mother." She sighed heavily and looked down at the table top with regret.  
  
Sandy continued explaining about Blair's father going off to school in Berkeley, finding Naomi, making her pregnant and then fighting with her about bringing the baby to the reservation to meet his family. When she had refused like she had refused to marry him he, Mark Wilson, Blair's father kidnapped him and died in a car accident that was the result of a high speed chase shortly after the kidnapping had occurred. Naomi was probably just afraid that someone else in his family would come and try to take you away from her. So she ran. The last we knew of her she was out side the country wandering around."  
  
"Blair I know this is hard but I will help you understand your father. Both of your parents loved you very much, I do not believe that either one had wanted to hurt you. Are you alright dear?" Sandy asked with a great deal of concern as all the blood in Blair's face drained away and he stood up clutching the table in front of him.  
  
Blair was so completely over whelmed that he forgot all about the dig and the return of the sentinels. "I need some air." He stuttered and then ran out of the building.  
  
Blair found a shaded place in some boulders near by and sat down to process all he had been told as well as try to fight through the panic attack he was having.  
  
Blair's head felt like it was going to explode. He now had a name for his father as well as a face for at least one family member from his father's side. Sandy was a great aunt. And she promised to tell him about his father and make him real. Now if he could only come to grips with this revelation and make is lungs work properly again.  
  
Blair felt very unnerved and this was a lot to process. He had no idea how to even begin. Sinking down to the ground, he drew up his knees and hugged them tightly to his chest. Blair never expected to ever know who is father was or where the rest of his family might be. He had given up on that knowledge because he felt it was only a dream. He truly believed that Naomi did not even know who had gotten her pregnant. And the real bomb shell that shattered the usually hyper but content with his lot young man was that these people knew his father because he had been one of them. He had found a missing piece of his life, a piece he did not until now know had meant so much. He had a father.  
  
Blair closed his eyes and took a deep breath and let it out slowly trying to center himself. But instead of calming him, the familiar ritual broke something open inside him and he started to cry.  
  
**********  
  
Later that afternoon Blair had been too nervous and excited to eat dinner and now sleeping seemed impossible too. The shamans had been having dreams about him - him as a guide/shaman, a powerful Animal Shaman! He had always dreamed of being a guide for a Sentinel. If he could really find a Sentinel then his doctorate was in the bag too. He could do what he really wanted and not some other topic.  
  
Doing nothing but tossing and turning after he had gone to bed, Blair decided his best course of action would be to get up and dressed. He left the little house he was sharing with Eli and Phil and took a walk to burn off his nervous energy. And maybe just maybe uncoil the knot of fear that was building up inside him.  
  
Outside the air was cool, clean and dry nothing like Cascade. He tilted his head back to stretch out his neck muscles that was when he noticed the stars. They were so beautiful and there were so many. He went back to the house and picked up the blanket that was lying over the railing on the porch and found a place to lie down behind the house to star gaze. He fell fast asleep as he looked at the stars and listened to the coyotes howling in the distance.  
  
He dreamed of a white man and woman dressed in Native American clothes of warriors hunting for him. He knew it was very important for them to be together but he could not see any way to get to them. He was looking into the fire and seeing their shadowy forms searching and their silent voices calling to him but they could not hear him trying to answer them.  
  
Blair woke with a start as a friendly dog came over and licked his face. It was dawn so Blair petted the dog and went back into the house. Dr. Shannon was looking out the window as Blair came up.  
  
"Blair do you make a habit of almost becoming breakfast for wild animals' by sleeping out doors?" He asked in a disgruntled voice as Blair came in.  
  
"No Dr. Shannon. I was too upset yesterday to sleep so I went star gazing. I must have fallen asleep. And what wild animals? I didn't see anything but a friendly dog." Blair answered.  
  
"That was no dog Blair. It was a wild coyote." Dr. Shannon stated with an exasperated sigh.  
  
"Oh, I didn't know. It was friendly maybe it is someone's pet and not wild?" Blair offered as a possible explanation for the animal being so close to the community.  
  
"I doubt that. Get cleaned up we need to hurry up and eat so that we will not be late to the council hall this morning. Go wake Eli while I start breakfast." Phil stated in his usual overbearing manner when speaking to Sandburg.  
  
TBC 


	3. Coyote Talks chp 3

Title: Coyote Talks Author: Lady Bethia Series: Partnership Series E-Mail: lady-bethia@yahoo.com Pairings: Ratings: PG Warnings: Disclaimers: I do not own the Sentinel - Pet Fly Productions does. I am just borrowing the characters and abilities. And I promise to return them in good order maybe. I am making no money off this either it's just for fun. Thanks to Susan Foster for getting me hooked on Sentinel/X-Men crossovers. This is the beginning where Blair and Jim first meet. It is set in an AU where the X-Men exist as well. Though in this story there will be no mention of the X-Men. Laura Brandon, MJ McBride and the others that work at the ranch are my characters. Summary: Jim finally gets to Colorado and the Silver Star Dude Ranch is the first stop on his trip.  
  
COYOTE TALKS  
Chapter 3: Silver Star Dude Ranch  
  
June 14th  
  
The trip so far had been as bad as Jim had expected. And the horrendous migraine he had was the direct result of the assault from the airports and the plane trip which had abused his poor ears and nose unmercifully. During the flight, he thought he was going to go mad with the whining two year old three rows back demanding the whole time, "Want ba", "Want Nana" and "Nonononono". And the woman next to him, Lord, she had worn enough perfume to drown an elephant. Jim couldn't wait to get to his hotel and take a shower to get the smell off of his skin and out of his nose as well as being some where quiet so his poor ears would stop ringing.  
  
Blessedly, the line for the rental was very short and they even had the truck he wanted. Furthermore, the drive to the hotel was quick and easy no one seemed to need to be on the road at eleven o'clock that night in Denver.  
  
When he reached his hotel room he showered then ate a sandwich delivered by room service and went right to sleep. He dreamed of a black jaguar, a silver wolf and a tan colored coyote running around happily playing with each other.  
  
------------  
  
The next morning as Jim sat behind the wheel of the Ford Expedition he was barely able to control his anger and frustration as he drove thru Denver. The headache was back with a vengeance. The culprit was a semi that had jack knifed on the main freeway running thru the city causing a one hour backup for all those people trying to get out of town. Because he did not know the side streets of this city he was forced to just wait and wade thru the traffic nightmare.  
  
Once out of the city proper, Jim slowly, very slowly began to relax the death grip he had on the steering wheel of his rental truck. And by the time he had unwound, he was deep into the pine covered Rocky Mountains.  
  
Passing thru the beautiful lush mountains, fertile valleys and eventually into the colorful high desert, he started to think that this trip wasn't such a bad idea after all. He had tried to find something on the radio - music or sports but after a short time he gave up and settled for peace and quiet.  
  
Two hours before sunset, Jim found him self in the small town of Cortez at the bottom of Mesa Verde National Park. He took a quick look at the map half folded by his side and saw that it was just a few more miles to the Silver Star Dude Ranch and he could get out of this truck and not get back in for at least a week or two if he really liked the place.  
  
Jim did not want to admit it but he was glad he was here. He did not have the boss badgering him to get something done or co workers either. But best of all no one was depending on him for anything for the next four weeks. All he had to do was get his act straightened out along with his senses and get back to things as usual - do the job and get thru one more day.  
  
Jim slowly turned down a gravel road with the sign high over the lentil that said Silver Star Ranch. He then continued down the mile long stretch that lead to the ranch. The ranch was a sprawl of several building and corrals with horses, cattle and dogs all over the place. And the valley that it was situated in was filled with Ponderosa pines, sagebrush, Indian Paint Brush, Mormon Tea bushes and yucca plants as well lots and lots of grass, a real riot of colors. As he approached, a young woman in blue jeans, cowboy boots and a red western shirt gave a bounce off the post she was leaning against and ran from the horse corral over to his truck to meet him.  
  
"Hi I'm MJ McBride and you must be Jim Ellison. We've been expecting you." She said warmly as she leaned against the truck door to talk thru the lowered window at him. "I can take you to were you can park your truck and then to your room over in the guest bunk house. By the time we've stowed your stuff it will be time for dinner." She said with a friendly pleasant southern drawl.  
  
"Thanks but I've been on the road all day and I really don't want to sit any time soon if you don't mind." He replied stiffly as he stared at her coolly with his ice blue eyes. He just did not feel like dealing with this hyperactive young woman. She grated on his already frayed nerves.  
  
"Sure no problem," she said as she patted him on the arm not noticing the other's cold attitude, either that or she didn't let it bother her. "I'll make sure that a plate is made for you and taken over to your room. Is that ok?" She asked as she continued to move energetically around the truck to the passenger side.  
  
Jim unlocked the door and moved over his Jags duffle bag so MJ could sit down.  
  
Not waiting for an answer to her question she continued, "Ok your bunk house is that building in the back on the right and the guest parking is around on the east side." She said as she pointed in the direction he needed to go in.  
  
From what he could see, the ranch was very well maintained even if it tended toward sprawl. The bunk house was a two story log cabin type building and around to the side there were two cars parked beside it already.  
  
Jim climbed out of the truck and grabbed his duffle and followed MJ inside. Once inside, he was surprised at the cool temperature and dim lighting. They entered the common room from the entry way. It was decorated in the typical rustic western patterns with desert colors of reds, yellows, blues and browns. And the walls were lined with animal head trophies of deer, buffalo, bear, coyote and wolves.  
  
MJ took him upstairs to the farthest room from the stairs. "Here's your room Mr. Ellison. I hope you like it." She stated with another friendly but sympathetic smile.  
  
Jim was pleased with the room that MJ showed him too. It was decorated with soft muted colors and lighting. It was also very well insulated with very little sound coming thru the windows or walls. The windows faced away from the other buildings and down the valley towards the mountains.  
  
Turning his attention back to MJ he asked, "Are there many other people staying here right now?" He asked because he had noted all the people running around outside doing all kind of end of the day activities.  
  
"Naw. There are only three other visitors here right now. The rest are just us ranch hands. We're in the other bunk house we passed on the way here." MJ stated after she opened the door leading to the small bathroom. "The others are a couple from New Mexico and a man from Nevada; they are all very nice people. You'll meet them all at breakfast tomorrow unless you run across them tonight if you decide to explore a little bit." She smiled and said to him warmly. "I'll leave you to get comfortable after your long trip. And dinner is at 7:00 at the main house, if you don't show up at dinner I'll bring a plate up to you." She picked up a piece of paper that was lying on the dresser and offered it to him. "Here you're going to need this to get around. It's a map explaining where everything is and schedules for rides, hikes and other activities. 'Nite."  
  
"Thank you." Jim said stiffly as MJ walked out and closed the door softly. She made him uncomfortable and he just could not for the life of him figure out why.  
  
**********  
  
Three days later, Jim thought he was going to strangle MJ. He knew she was only doing her job but she just rubbed him the wrong way. She seemed to be following him around all the time trying to entertain him. Furthermore, MJ was the one who woke him up at one point when he seemed to have 'fallen asleep' standing up in the middle of the drive way. Now she was worried about him and asked if he had any medical condition that they really needed to know about and look out for. 'Why couldn't she just leave him alone?' He thought furiously.  
  
Finally he had come to the decision that he would leave tomorrow because this morning had been the worst day yet. He had a feeling all morning that something was coming and it made him antsy and nervous so he prowled around that ranch trying to figure out what it was that was wrong. His concentration was shot and he could not focus on anything for longer than a couple of minutes at a time. Then a shout rang out from the Foreman, "She's almost here! Jake and Todd get a move on and get your horses ready. You'll need to take control of the herd she's bringing in so she can just come on over here to the barn. I think she has done enough work for the past ten days to deserve the rest of the day off."  
  
Henry, the man who shouted out the warning and instructions, turned and looked at MJ who was bouncing up and down excitedly and said, "Don't you think you better get her a coke? She is going to be tired and thirsty. And the last time she came off the trail after that Douglas fiasco the only thing that calmed her down was you and a couple of very cold cokes." He smiled at the memory.  
  
"Sure thing." MJ replied as she raced over to the main house.  
  
Jim walked over to Henry. He liked this man and got along with quite well with him. "Who's coming in?" He asked.  
  
"MJ's partner Laura. They both came from Little Rock, Arkansas. They were wranglers with the Girl Scouts when they saw our ad in the Horse employment news letter." Henry stated. "That ad was the best thing we ever did to get help around here. Both those girls are the hardest workers I've worked with in a long time. As for Laura, she has been out on the trail for the past ten days herding fifteen horses and ten head of cattle from a neighboring ranch all by her self. Jon was supposed to be her partner on the trip but he broke his arm falling off his horse on the first day out. But she said that she thought she could handle the herd by herself. So now, we get to see how well she did." He added as he looked in the direction of a large cloud of dust heading their way, and pointing with his chin over there.  
  
In the distance, Jim could see a person in a cowboy hat riding a horse behind a herd of horses and cattle but he couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman.  
  
Jake and Todd rode out to meet her and took control of the herd. At that point, she broke off at a gallop and headed straight for the barn.  
  
Laura stopped her black and white pinto right in front of Henry, Jim and MJ - who had just come back from the main house with the cokes.  
  
"Henry, MJ are you two a site for sore eyes." She said as she slide off her horse.  
  
Henry grabbed the bridle of the horse as he began to question Laura, "Well are you glad now that I insisted that you take Poco and not Champaign?"  
  
MJ grabbed the lead rope off the horn of the saddle to take control of the pack horse and tie him up.  
  
"Oh yeah, thanks Henry." She replied in all sincerity.  
  
She then turned to Jim and began to evaluate him closely as Jim inspected her in kind. Both appeared to be appraising each other with an intensity that was becoming uncomfortable when Laura having come to some conclusion broke into a large grin and held out her hand for Jim. "Hi, you must be Jim Ellison. Glad to meet you and welcome. I'm Laura Brandon, one of the wranglers here. I hope your stay so far had been fun. Excuse me for being such a mess but I've been out with the herd for ten days and the desert doesn't come equipped with showers. Darn it." She said as a little welcoming speech.  
  
Jim reached forward to take her hand and was surprised at the firm, warm grip she had. At her touch, Jim felt comfortable for the first time since he came here, even with MJ just lurking behind Laura.  
  
Seeing that everything was ok MJ moved in front of Laura and said, "Laura I've got some cokes for you." She then pulled the drinks from around behind her back with a flourish and presented them to her.  
  
"Oh bless you," her eyes lit up with greedy expectation. "I think I've missed these more than the showers." Laura replied with undisguised longing in her voice. Taking one of the cokes, she opened it and practically drank all of it in one gulp. With a deep sigh of content meant, she handed back the empty can and reached for the second one. Jim just stared at her in amusement and then smiled remembering being that thirsty after being out for days on maneuvers.  
  
"Good God, Laura I think that is the first time I've seen Mr. Ellison smile the entire time he's been here." MJ said in amazement as she shyly looked in Jim's direction.  
  
Laura laughed as Jim frowned and glared at MJ. Catching her breath, Laura looked at MJ as she place a hand on her partners shoulder and stated, "That's not nice to say about Mr. Ellison. He is a police officer and by the looks of it ex-military. They don't hand out smiles or senses of humor to either group as standard issue. That all goes to us Law Enforcement Park Rangers for safe keeping." She smiled warmly at Jim and his hackles lowered and he smiled conspiratorially back at her.  
  
He nodded and added, "She's right, if I needed any of that it would have been issued to me." He said stoically as he tried not to smile and failed.  
  
Laura, Henry and Jim both broke into laughter at that. MJ just stared up at the sky and rolled her eyes and said, "Why me?"  
  
Henry straightened up first and asked in all seriousness. "So, I take it the trip went well?"  
  
A dark cloud passed over Laura's features as she replied, "Well for most of it. Something strange happened out there but I'm not sure I can explain it. But the worst thing happened today when I found out we have GD pot hunters digging up the property. The place they were digging is right at Water Rock." She looked back in the direction she indicated.  
  
"As soon as I get a shower, because my skin is about ready to crawl right off of me and take my sanity with it, I'm driving back over there to take some pictures. I'd like it if you would call the Sheriff and tell him about the pot hunters," taking another sip of her second coke she continued. "Tell him, I'll bring the pictures over to him as evidence. I want the 4x4 with the radio just in case the fools come back while I am out there." She finished with a slight growl.  
  
"You are not going out there alone young woman. You will wait and take one of the others out there with you tomorrow. Besides, you're too tired to do it today." Henry ordered concern for her showing on his face.  
  
"No, I need to go out there today just in case they come back and do more damage. Maybe they left enough evidence that the Sheriff can nail them." She answered in all seriousness.  
  
"What are pot hunters?" Jim asked switching into detective mode.  
  
"Thieves that steal from archeological sites. They dig up the place and take only items that they can sell right away like intact clay pots to disreputable collectors and such. They end up destroying more than the actually salvage." Laura stated belligerently.  
  
"You know that you need back up if the thieves are out there. They could be armed." Henry said as he tried to talk some sense into Laura as well as calm her down. He had never seen her so mad before.  
  
"You know that no one is available to go out with me today and it can't wait." She answered as she took off the bed roll, saddlebags and rifle from her saddle.  
  
"I'll go with her." Jim offered.  
  
"No, I can't risk a guest like that but thanks anyway." She tempered her answer with a genuine smile as she tried to rein in her temper.  
  
"I am a cop, what better backup could you want?" Jim added as he lifted his eyebrow.  
  
"True, but you don't come out here to work on your time off. But.if you don't mind?" She asked as she cocked her head to the side with her question.  
  
"I don't mind. I was going a little bit stir crazy any way." He said as he nodded at her.  
  
"Ok I have my backup are you happy now Henry?" She asked with a smug look planting its self crossing her face.  
  
"No but I can tell when I am out numbered and out voted on something." Henry conceded. "I don't want to you to go looking for trouble Laura and I mean it," he added.  
  
Turning to Jim and looking him straight in the eye she said, "Good. Jim give me about thirty minutes and I'll be ready. Henry can you bring the 4x4 over to the corral and park it for me, just leave the keys in it and my rifle." She said as she handed him the rifle.  
  
"Alright, Laura, I will." The Native American answered unhappily because he had lost this argument with Laura. He had a bad feeling about this.  
  
Laura headed straight over to the wranglers' bunk house to get ready.  
  
MJ turned to Jim and asked, "So you won't be on the afternoon ride, you want to reschedule and go out on the dawn ride tomorrow?"  
  
"No," was all he said as he left MJ standing there embarrassed by his continual rude behavior towards her.  
  
Jim went back to his room to get his service weapon and to think about what just happened. Earlier he had felt that something was coming and that it was dangerous. When it finally got here it was this woman Laura. But after being introduced to her he felt all the bad feelings and edginess disappear at once as she accepted him warmly and shook his hand. Who and what she was he did not know but he was bound and determined to find out.  
  
What confused him the most was that MJ was her partner. What kind of partner? And how could she stand that hyperactive bundle of energy? MJ was just too bouncy, talkative and happy for Jim's comfort level. But Laura defiantly appeared to be the calm cool down to earth one who did not let anything get in the way of what she wanted to do. He felt he could really like her if he let her in. He usually trusted his impressions about people. He never gave it a thought that it was unusual for him to even consider letting anyone in least of all a stranger he just met.  
  
About thirty minutes later, Laura appeared at the front door of the other bunk house, and headed straight for the 4x4 and Jim.  
  
Jim pushed off the jeep he was leaning against and raised his eyebrows in disbelief as she approached the 4x4. He really had not expected her to be exactly when she said she would be.  
  
"What are you so surprised about? Didn't think I could get ready as fast as I did, huh?" She chuckled as she cocked her head sideways and arched one of her eyebrows up quizzically. "I was a Girl Scout and you don't take your time in the showers when there are 19 other girls and 4 counselors that want showers too and there are only three shower stalls." They both laughed.  
  
Jim was impressed. He felt that maybe she could be trusted.  
  
"Well let's get going. The sooner we get there the sooner we can get back. I'm really looking forward to a descent meal at lunch and a real bed for a nap this afternoon." Laura said in a wistful tone as she threw her back pack into the 4x4 and climbed in.  
  
Jim just smiled. He understood exactly. "That is exactly how I felt every time I came back from a mission or when I get off a two or three day stake out."  
  
Laura laughed. "Amen to that! Boy are we a couple of masochists. We do this shit on purpose to our selves." She shook her head in disbelief at their mutual choices in exhausting work.  
  
The next few minutes of the trip were quiet as Jim studied the woman beside him. She was about 5'7", big boned stocky not fat with long dark brown hair, tan skin and dark blue eyes. Her eyes reminded him of storm clouds while his own usually reminded people of ice. She was not pretty or cute like MJ but not bad looking either. He felt she could and would hold her own in a fight with him or anyone else. Why that came to his mind he was not sure. It was definitely a strange thought.  
  
Laura studied the man beside her. She did not know what kind of person she was expecting this cop to be. But she was pleased with how he turned out. He did not appear to be an 'everyone is the enemy kind', or the 'sleazy kind' or even the 'I have to be in charge all the time kind'. He seemed to be comfortable enough with him self that he was not trying to take control of this situation to prove him self to her or to show off. He was watchful and quiet. He was paying attention to her and his surrounding too. He didn't give her the first degree or interrogate her either. She felt she could rely on him or maybe even like this man - Jim Ellison.  
  
TBC 


	4. Coyote Talks chp 4

Title: Coyote Talks Author: Lady Bethia Series: Partnership Series E-Mail: lady-bethia@yahoo.com Home Page: Pairings: Ratings: PG Warnings: Disclaimers: I do not own the Sentinel or the X-Men. I am just borrowing the characters and abilities from Pet Fly Productions. And I promise to return them in good order maybe. I am making no money off this either it's just for fun. Thanks to Susan Foster for getting me hooked on Sentinel/X- Men crossovers. This is the beginning where Blair and Jim first meet. It is set in an AU where the X-Men exist as well. Though in this story there will be no mention of the X-Men. Dr. Phil Shannon, and the Indians named are my characters. Summary: Blair finds that there is more than just one ruin that deals with the Sentinels and Guides on the reservation. He also finds out that there are some secrets that some of the Shaman and Elders are willing to kill to keep.  
  
COYOTE TALKS  
Chapter 4: Grandmother's Surprises  
  
Blair spent all of the first morning on the Reservation trapped with the Ute leadership and his Professors pouring over plans, maps and pictures of the areas were the digs were going to be located. It seemed that there was more than just one cliff dwelling involved. There were ruins and artifacts in some of areas above on the mesa top and below in the canyon floor and even some small cliff ledges and caves that had evidence of occupation that needed to be cataloged and inventoried as well. The project would take several years to dig and the research and write up of everything from the area would take even longer. The ruins would supply the archeologists and anthropologists with papers and books for decades.  
  
Blair knew that all this preparation and information gathering was important for the up coming dig but all he really wanted to do was just go out there have a look around and then begin the planning part. He wanted to explore the virgin area without any outside influences or preplanned order. The sites would dictate the order for him and the sequence of the prehistoric events. Blair sensed that something important was out there for him to find. He had to be allowed to follow some path that would appear only for him. But he had learned from experience that things usually never worked out like he hoped they would.  
  
Through out the meeting Blair would occasionally scan the room and noticed that Sandy kept an almost constant eye on him. It made him nervous and made him fidget even more than usual. Every time Blair looked up at his Aunt she was staring at him with a happy and self satisfied smile on her face. He felt like she was up to something and it all revolved around him. He would smile back brightly and continue with his notes or questions hoping that what ever she had planned would not get him in any trouble with his professors of get him thrown off the dig.  
  
Then of course there was the Shaman Chuck Harris who would throw him disgusted looks now and again. Whenever he looked over in Blair's direction Blair could feel the hair on the back of his neck rise. Blair really wished he knew what he had done to make Harris so mad at him. He could almost feel the dislike radiate off of him sometimes. Harris seemed to be the elder Shaman of the tribe and this filled Blair with apprehension about his future as a guide. And Blair's most fervent hope was that someone else would be given the job of teaching him the ways of the Shaman. He dreaded the thought of Harris doing it. Maybe he could talk to his Aunt. She might be able to fix things or get one of the other Shamans to take him as an apprentice.  
  
------------  
  
Sandy was more than pleased with her great nephew. Blair would make a wonderful Animal Shaman and someone a fine husband and father as well. She had seen a female Guardian in her dreams recently. Too bad the dreams showed that Blair's Guardian would be the man that was coming with the woman. The old lore told of hardships for Guardians and Animal Shamans when it came to having families especially if the mate was not a Shaman or Guardian. The mates never seemed to understand that the bond between Guardian and Shaman came first over everything else even love.  
  
Sandy was still worried about how much of the Medicine Woman lore to trust Blair with. She knew that she was the only one that could put him on the most direct path to becoming an Animal Shaman. The lore passed down by the male shamans was corrupted and incomplete when it came to the Animal Shaman. They thought it was only the bond with the Guardian that made the difference between the two types of shaman but it was really much more. She knew that the Animal Shaman had abilities of both Shaman and Guardian Warrior and that was the true difference.  
  
The first piece of knowledge that she knew she had to give Blair was that the last Animal Shaman die two years before the Guardian and the other Shaman did. It was the Shaman and Guardian that died 100 years ago. The Animal Shaman last time was the female Shaman not the male one which is what the Shaman now tell us. The male Shaman have always held the way of the Shaman jealously and get upset when a female surpasses them.  
  
Another important piece of information she needed to expound upon was that the bonding of an Animal Shaman was done in threes a triad - two males and one female or two females and one male. The Animal Shaman has to bond with an already bonded Guardian and Shaman. This fact was one of the lost pieces of information the male Shaman did not have. Blair had to know that he must bond with both a Shaman and a Guardian for his powers to come into full being. She decided to not push this piece of information at him all at once. As she had already found out he did not take shocking news well.  
  
Having made some decisions on how she would proceed she began planning what dinner tonight would be. He was eating with her so that he could learn more about his family, his people and the ways of a shaman.  
  
'I will train you well my Little One. We have all summer to start this life time journey.' She thought happily.  
  
Dr. Shannon and Dr. Stoddard were both deeply engrossed in their conversations with the other Archeologist and tribal members involved with the dig to even remember that Blair was there unless he added some thing into the their conversation.  
  
------------  
  
Sandy walked up to Blair after he had finished his lunch and before the end of their lunch break and put a gentle hand on his shoulder and asked him, "Blair dear I would like to ask you some questions concerning your becoming a Shaman."  
  
"Uh, yes where would you like to go? I don't think we need to discuss that here." He hesitantly replied glancing around the room while pointedly ignoring Harris.  
  
"This way Blair," she replied. Sally led them out the back door and into a shaded courtyard. "Have you given any thought about becoming a Shaman since you came here?" She asked with a soft soothing voice she used on scared animals hoping not to frighten him.  
  
"I have never thought about becoming a Shaman before. I have always dreamed of finding a Sentinel and being his Guide." He answered shyly. Glancing up into her kind peaceful brown eyes hoping not to see like he some times saw in the eyes of his other Professors that thought his dream of finding a Sentinel was wayward fantasy of his. But all he saw in her eyes was the promise that she would help him on his quest so he asked, "I don't really know if I can become a real shaman for the tribe. I have so much I need to do including finding my Sentinel and finishing my dissertation for my doctorate." He wound to a stop and stared at the ground at his feet.  
  
Noting his fear but seeing it as a good sign she began his first lesson of his journey to becoming a shaman. "There is a great deal that you would have to learn just to become a normal Shaman for a Guardian but even more to become an Animal Shaman. The price - the cost to your life and future maybe high." She warned. "You may not get to be or do some of the things that you think of as a normal part of life like marrying and having children. Though this is not impossible it is difficult. We have tales and legends that tell us that the mates and children of Guardians and Shamans that are not ones themselves, they simply do not understand or do not want to understand that the bond between Shaman and Guardian always comes first. They do not see that the Shamans and Guardians feel each others needs, wants and pain as if it were their own and that if one dies the other is never the same if they manage to live at all after their partner's death." She paused to see how Blair was taking this information.  
  
Blair was startled by this revelation. His face turned white as he replied, "How is this bond made and what kind of bond is it? What do I need to do?"  
  
She smiled at his reaction. He was not as panicked as he could be. Sally saw the fear and heard it in his voice but this was a good sign. It meant that he would not just jump into any bonding with just any Sentinel. "I have done some research on mutant abilities and I have come to the conclusion that the Shamans and Animal Shamans are powerful empaths maybe even some type of telepath as well. The bonds are psyionic and they are permanent. It is the psychic shock of the death of their bonded that kills the partner. They psychically bleed to death as it were." Sally took a deep breath and continued. "The bonding must not be taken lightly or discarded carelessly because this can destroy the bonded pair as surely as death."  
  
Visibly shaken Blair stared at Sally gathering his courage and inquired in a breathy voice, "How will I know if I am bonding with the right person?"  
  
Pleased she thought, 'He just might have the strength and nobility needed to be the powerful shaman we have seen from the future.' "Do not worry child you will know. You will feel that it is right and there will be no hesitation for you. But there is always a chance of someone trying to force a bond on you in their desperation to find their mate. Guardians who have done this have all died and about half the time taken the Shaman with them unless they were already bonded." She answered.  
  
Putting her hand on Blair's shoulder and giving him a comfortingly squeeze she added, "I am here to help you. I will be the one to train you. Trials are always hard but passing them are always more than worth it."  
  
"You're going to train me? Wow that is great. I was hoping it wasn't going to be Harris he doesn't seem to like me very much." He babbled to an excited stop happy for the first time since hearing he was to be trained as a shaman.  
  
He then took a deep breath and continued. "When are we going to see the ruins and the area around them?" Blair blurted out trying to steer the conversation away from the scary topic of what he would loose or gain with becoming a Shaman for his Sentinel. He knew already in his heart of hearts that he would do anything for his Sentinel.  
  
Allowing his change of topic to lead their conversation in another direction she replied, "I can take you out there in a little bit. The others don't want to go until all the planning is done but I can see that you need to go out there as soon as possible." She smiled fondly at him. "Come get your hiking boots on and meet me outside in 15 minutes and we will go toward your future young Shaman."  
  
"Wow thanks Sally this means so much too me. I wanted to see them so badly without everyone else around but I did not know what to do about it or who to ask." He bounced happily up and down on his toes.  
  
She laughed at his enthusiastic antics. "Go Young One the sooner we get ready the sooner we get out there." She waved him off.  
  
------------  
  
The ride out to the Shaman canyons was breath takingly beautiful. The desert was full of life and beauty and Blair was soaking it up like a sponge. The canyon they were traveling down ended up in a three way split. There were ruins down all three of them Sally told Blair. But the main canyon of interest was the eastern one. They were able to drive about a quarter mile in to it when they were forced to stop. From there they walked the last half mile to come just under the main cliff dwelling and the primary focus of the dig.  
  
The cliff dwelling was about 25 feet up the canyon wall from the floor and about 50 feet from the mesa top. Looking up from the floor of the canyon they could see that there was some sort of ledge up there but from this angle they really could not get a glimpse of the buildings or a sighting on how far back the alcove went. Next to the canyon wall though, a modern stair way had been constructed of wood for people to access the ledge and its dwellings.  
  
"Blair would you like to climb up the way the ancients did or will you follow me up the stairs like a rational person." She laughed at the frenetic young man bouncing beside her.  
  
"Where did they climb up?" He asked as he looked around excitedly for another way up. "I think I would like to try the old way first just for the historical reference. You know to walk in the foot steps of my ancestors."  
  
"I will show you Young One it is over there." She walked over to the wall and pointed to the cliff wall with nothing there that a normal person would recognize as a way up.  
  
"I don't understand." He said staring at the blank wall and then back to Sally.  
  
"They used finger and toe holds my dear." She reached out and pointed to the small worn niches spaced every so often up the wall.  
  
"They free climbed it?" He asked started as he glanced up the wall.  
  
"Yes both ways from the floor here and from the mesa top down." She smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Come with me Little One and let us climb the stairs the young men built for those of us who can no longer take such risks."  
  
The way up was not as bad as Blair thought it was going to be. He was too excited about getting up there to be afraid of the height during the climb.  
  
The ruins were incredible with dozens of buildings two of which were three stories tall making the ruins look more like a little city. In the main court yard in the front of the alcove there were three kivas two small ones on either side of the great kiva in the middle. The roofs on both of the smaller kivas needed repair but the great kiva's roof seemed intact.  
  
As Blair wandered around the broken walls and other debris of the ruin he felt as if this place was periphery to what he was suppose to see of where he was suppose to be. This place was not the place calling to him; it was the preface of the ruins that concern the Shaman and Guardians. "Sally this isn't the place that is calling me. It is the starting place but the heart is in another location." He turned and studied Sally for a clue as to what he was supposed to do now.  
  
"Very good my dear you are quiet right in your assessment. I will take you to the next location and see how you react there. Come the next spot is in the middle canyon." She led the way back to the stair and headed down them.  
  
"Why did they choose this location to be the dig site if it's not the heart of the Shaman/Guardian ruins?" Blair demanded doing is best to ignore his fear of heights as they made their way back down the stair case.  
  
"They choose it because this location is the biggest and flashiest of the sites." She answered in disgust.  
  
"Oh, that makes sense if you were going to exploit the ruins like they do at Chico Canyon or Mesa Verde. Are they planning to make this a tourist site?" He asked in sudden realization of the harm that would cause.  
  
"I don't really know my Dear. But anything is possible. We are not a rich tribe and we don't have much to offer except our ruins." She said sadly.  
  
"It would be wrong Sally. I don't know why but it must be studied and learned from but not turned into a vacation spot for Joe Blow. I have never really felt like that for any other site before but this one must be preserved for its original purpose only." Blair said as if he was relaying the information from someone else.  
  
"I feel the same way my Dear as well." Sally replied as she led the way towards the truck.  
  
"Wait Sally can we walk this was for a minute please?" Blair asked as he started walking in the opposite direction of the truck and heading further down the canyon.  
  
"Of course my Dear, what is it you think is over this way?" She asked. She had not explored this canyon much and was intrigued that Blair felt he needed to go further in.  
  
"Are kids aloud to play out here Sally?" Blair asked as he strains to hear what he thinks is the voice of a child.  
  
"No. No one but the shamans are supposed to be here. Why?" She asked.  
  
"I think I hear something over here." Blair said as he continued forward toward one section of the wall and on the opposite of the canyon from the cliff dwelling.  
  
"Hey Sally! I think I have found a cave on the other side of this bush over here." He said as he turned to look back at her. "Can you hand me your flash light so I can look inside?"  
  
"Here you go my Dear." She said as she handed him the flash light. "What do you see?"  
  
"It is a cave. I want to go in. It looks like this cave gets bigger in the back." He added as he stooped and pushed thru the bushes then and took his first step into the cave. The second step though made Blair loose his balance as the floor gave way under him. Sally who was following close behind made a grab for the back of Blair's shirt and yanked him back to safety.  
  
"God what happened?" Sally yelled as she panted in fear.  
  
"I don't know the floor just gave way under my foot. I dropped the flashlight in a hole. I'm going to look and see what is there in the hole where the flashlight." Blair declared as she crept forward and got down on his hands and knees to peer into the newly exposed hole in the floor.  
  
"My God his is just like 'Indiana Jones'. This hole is a pit trap looks like it is about 7 or 8 feet deep maybe." He said as he started to scan the hole from the top and working his way down the sides to see what was waiting at the bottom. "Gees there are even wooden spikes in the bottom. And worst of all, I see a small human skeleton. Who ever made this pit ended up getting what I think is a little boy killed in it." He relayed as he turned away to catch his breath in hopes of not throwing up.  
  
"Blair I didn't know that this cave was even here much less that it was booby trapped. It looks like someone does not want anyone to know what is in this cave and they are willing to kill to protect its secrets." She shook her head sadly as a tear slid down her ancient face. She gently placed a hand on Blair's shoulder and continued.  
  
"I am going to call the police chief out here and Paul. Occasionally we lost people out in the desert. They might be able to tell who the boy is so that we can tell his parents and they can finally put him to rest." Sally said as she turned to leave.  
  
"I want to uncover the hole completely to see how big it really is." Blair asked as he looked more closely at the open portion of the hole.  
  
"Here use my walking stick and clear the top of the hole completely. See if it can be crossed over. People are going to what to know what was so important that a boy was killed to protect it." She said as she handed him her stick.  
  
Sally walked slowly back to her truck and called in to the council and the Reservation police about the body and the pit trap in the cave near the cliff dwelling.  
  
************  
  
"Bring him up slowly and gently; I hope that someone is going to be able to identify the body." Paul said to Jim Greengrass the chief of police for the Reservation.  
  
"So do I Paul. I don't think the body is recent but I know it is not all that old either. If we're lucky he might have a coin on him that could give us a clue as to when this happened." Jim replied.  
  
As the skeleton of the dead boy was raised out of the pit everyone there gathered close to see if they knew him.  
  
The buckskins and moccasins were still in tacked though holes and blood stains now covered them. They were also of the type that had been used for the last 100 years. Furthermore wrapped around his tiny left wrist was a beaded bracelet with a firebird in the central circle and this piece of jewelry would defiantly help identify him.  
  
"NO! OH NO! EEEEEEE!" Shaman Harris cried out as he rushed forward to take the blanket of the dead boy.  
  
"Chuck what who is it?" Jim demanded of Harris as he tried to help the distressed man take possession of the body.  
  
"My son, my son." Harris fell to the ground clutching the skeleton of his dead son tightly to his body in the blanket as he started to rock back and forth keening out the Ute death song for him.  
  
"Oh Chuck I am so sorry. But now at leased you have him back and can give him a proper burial." Sally said sadly as she indicated to Blair, Dr Stoddard and Dr Shannon that they should leave. She then led them away from the scene of private grief and back to the vehicles.  
  
Half way back to the village Sally began to explain some of what happened concerning the boy.  
  
"Daniel was best friends with your father Blair. One day they went out hunting and playing in the canyons. That night your father came back in hysterics that he could not find Daniel. They had become separated at about lunch time and Mark had spent all afternoon looking for his friend. Mark was 9 and Daniel was only 7 but they were almost inseparable. The adults hunted in the area for days but never found Daniel. Chuck never forgave your father for loosing Daniel and has carried that hate from then on. I believe that the reason he hates you is because of this and not that you have done anything wrong." Sally stopped and wiped the tears from her eyes. The rest of the trip was made in silence. 


	5. Coyote Talks chp 5

7

Coyote Talks

**Title**: Coyote Talks

**Author**: Lady Bethia

**Series**: Partnership Series

**E-Mail**: Page: http/groups. PG

**Warning**: Some adult language.

**Disclaimers**: I do not own the Sentinel or the X-Men. I am just borrowing the characters and abilities from Pet Fly Productions. And I promise to return them in good order maybe. I am making no money off this either it's just for fun. Thanks to Susan Foster for getting me hooked on Sentinel/X-Men crossovers. This is the beginning where Blair and Jim first meet. It is set in an AU where the X-Men exist as well. However, in this story there will be no mention of the X-Men.

**Summary**: Laura tries to draw Jim out of the shell he crawled into after a zone out. After Jim refuses to accept the fact he is a mutant, she tells him about the strange events that happened out, on her ten-day trip in the desert, on their way to the crime scene.

COYOTE TALKS

Chapter 5: Strange Dreams Happen

After the first few minutes of quiet, Laura asked, "So what brought you out here on vacation?" Given Jim's reactions so far, Laura was fast getting the impression that Jim was not very happy about his vacation. He seemed too uptight and on edge while at the ranch but out here with her he actually seemed to be starting to relax a little. This made her feel even more comfortable with him.

Startled by Laura's question, Jim turned to look more closely at her to try to figure out why he felt so strangely about her and the world faded away.

Seeing Jim turn towards her with a scowl on his face, she immediately started to laugh. She was about to joke with him about his scowl when he just froze. His face went void and slack. "Jim are you ok? Jim!" She called as she reached out and shook his arm alarmed by this sudden turn of event.

Jim gasped and looked around startled as Laura slowed and stopped the 4x4. Turning it off she turned and gave him her full and undivided attention.

"Jim are you ok? You sort of blanked out on me there. Are you an epileptic? Do we need to go back for you medicine or anything?" Laura inquired with take-charge concern as she reached out to touch him again with one hand while the other reached into the back for a bottle of water.

"No." Jim said shrugging off her hand and turning to look out the window once again as if nothing had happened.

Hurt and confused by the sudden change in Jim, Laura pulled her hand back into her own lap. Looking closely at him, she saw he was no longer trying to relax and be almost friendly for a too serious ex-military man. He had purposely slipped into the military mindset of 'I am a stone statue with no emotions'. Staring at the water bottle that was now in her hand, she said neutrally, "Here drink this." While she racked her brain to try to figure out a way to bring Jim, back out and put the military man back in the dark hole where it came from. Making up her mind, she tried the direct approach and asked in a polite but serious voice, "Well mister 'Stone face', are you having a good time so far? Has my partner MJ kept you busy with all the fun and exciting things to do out here in the middle of bum fuck no-where desert of southern Colorado?"

Jim turned his head slowly towards her to scowl again but Laura broke into hysterical laughter at his expression. He did not expect that reaction. He crossed his very muscular arms across his broad chest and glared at her with an expression that normally sent grown men crying from his presence. But Laura just laughed even harder.

Knowing this tactic all too well from her ex, Laura asked between gulps of air, "Do they teach that to every soldier or just the elite?" She continued to snicker as she tried to get herself back under control.

"I do not know what you are talking about. Explain. I do not appreciate being laughed at." Jim chewed out his words with a growl in answer wondering who this crazy woman beside him was that was not afraid of him in the leased.

"Well I know that all doctors go thru a class called 'God 101' to become better than thou assholes. I was just wondering if all soldiers go thru the 'I have the emotions of a rock and the humor to go with'. My ex was from the 82nd and all his friends called him 'The Great Stone Face'." She smiled and looked him directly in his eyes to soften her explanation.

"Yes as a matter of fact they do." Jim answered abruptly. Finally, he realized that she was not meaning to cause him harm but trying to get them both back on friendly terms. However, the thing that surprised him the most was that it was working on him even if he did not want it to.

"Ok I can deal with that." She answered with a smile and a wink. "Oh by the way I can read right thru all that macho army BS too." She added. "God I haven't laughed this hard in a year."

"Really?" He inquired trying to deflect the conversation from him to her.

"Yeah really. Are you on vacation voluntarily or were you forced?" She asked as she turned over the engine on the 4x4 and started towards Water Rock not willing to change the topic yet much to his annoyance. "You don't give me the impression of someone who takes vacations regularly." Laura pushed him further.

"Forced." Jim said thru a clenched jaw.

"Ya know that if you keep grinding your teeth like that you're not going to have any by the time you're 40. Was the vacation needed because of these spells? I'm not trying to be nosey just trying to help." Laura explained as she reached out to touch his arm as if her hand had a mind of its own. She usually was only this touchy feely with animals not people. "We don't want you to get hurt falling off a horse or doing something else that normally isn't dangerous unless you have a problem." She stated gently.

"Yes that and some other weird things too." He muttered softly as he stared at his hands that were now in his lap.

Finally, she allowed the topic of conversation to change so she could take him mind off of his troubles for a little bit before pushing him for the information she needed about his health. "Yeah well I bet it's not half as weird as what I went thru out on the trail though I'm sort of glad that part of my mutation has finally started to do something useful. I just hated knowing I was supposed to be able to do something but not being able to. By the way, what are your abilities or do you know? I've got this strange feeling that they're a lot like mine." She asked curiously with no hint of disgust or fear.

Jim jerked abruptly away from her and turned a hard stare her way. The questions startled him badly. Going into defensive mode he immediately said, "I don't know what you're talking about." He became even more agitated and furious by her assumption that he was a mutant…a freak. "I am not a freak." He growled.

"No you are not a freak and neither am I. I am also not dangerous because of it. So if I tell you about what happened to me will you maybe answer my question?" She implored in a soft gentle tone.

He was staring at her with coldest ice blue eyes she had ever seen.

Jim remained quiet and just glared daggers at her, "Right."

She took this as a start and began telling him all about her recent trip alone out in the desert.

About ten days ago, Jon and I started out on the trail from the Rocking L Ranch with a herd of animals a mixed group of horses and cattle. About an hour out on the trail Jon's horse stepped on a rattlesnake, freaked out, and threw Jon to the ground. But at the time, I didn't know what the heck had happened.

After getting my horse under control I, rode over to Jon jumped off Poco and knelt by his side to find out how bad, hurt he was as well as find out what happened. When I got to him was lying on his side clutching his right arm and swearing up a blue streak. "Well I guess you're not dead. Especially with all the colorful descriptions you are using to describe your horse Jon." I joked trying to get his mind off of his obvious pain.

Not getting any answer except a continuation of his blue streak about his horse I asked, "Ok where exactly does it hurt?" I took hold of his arm gently as I could. He strangled his descriptive monolog about his horse and clamped his jaws shut while I inspected the break. "Well it looks like its broken Jon. I better fine some wood to splint this then check on your horse." He nodded and recradled his arm to his chest. I found what I needed and set his broken arm as best as I could.

Walking cautiously over to his spooked horse, I talk to her slowly calming her down so I could catch her. I ran my hand down each of the Pinto legs I couldn't find any problems or injuries, which was a relief. Jon really loved that horse and I really did not want to have to put her down. So now I was confused why would Sunday freak out like that? She was one of the most bombproof horses I knew. Going over to where the accident happened, I started looking around trying to figure out what spooked her. That is when I found the dead rattlesnake.

"Wow Jon that was close! Sunday stepped on and killed a rattlesnake. Luckily for you she's ok no bite marks or anything on her." I said as I collected her and brought her back over to her injured rider.

Jon was sitting there quietly waiting for us cradling his arm when he said thru gritted teeth, "That's good. And thanks Laura. I think I'm going to need a little help here through getting up on her."

"No problem," I told him. I put him back on Sunday and lead them back to the ranch leaving the herd to take care of itself for a little bit.

Everybody tried to talk me out of taking the herd by myself but I wouldn't listen. I went back out rounded up all the animals and headed out again with no problem just as I expected.

The first day and night went just fine. The next morning though I picked up some unwanted traveling companions – coyotes, five of them. The strange thing though was that they weren't bothering the herd any at all. It was really weird almost as if they were acting like outriders.

That night after I settled everyone down I took my rifle and walked a little ways from camp behind some large boulders with the intent of chasing off the coyotes.

Once out of site of my camp and around the rocks and boulders the coyotes surrounded me. It was really kind of strange, they weren't scared of me at all in fact they sat in the circle and just stared at me. That was when life got bizarre for me and I dropped my gun. All my senses went crazy, I could taste colors, see sound, I almost panicked but then everything went back to where it should be except that all my senses were sharper. I could see around me as if it were a clear night with a full moon. In addition, I could smell each of the animals around me's individual scents.

At that point, I finally fell down on my butt and started gasping for breath. It was like having a panic attack after a real bad scare. However, the weirdness wasn't over and the gods weren't done with me yet. At that point, I started having a dream/hallucination thing. I damn near wet myself I was so scared when the world went blue.

As the dreams started to play out in my head, I found myself in another time and place. I was near some kind of cliff dwelling with two Indian men and one woman. One of the men was dressed as a warrior with weapons and all, the other man and the woman both were dressed in fancy outfits more like shamans during important rituals. They all smiled at me. They seemed to be friendly. They talked to each other for a little bit in their own language and then came to some decision. The woman walked over to me and touched my face and I woke up with one of the coyotes licking me.

I got up picked up my rifle and hurried back to the herd. When I finally did get to sleep, I had weird dreams for the rest of the night about me running around as a coyote or with a coyote at my side. The next day and for the rest of the trip, the pack of coyotes continued to follow me. And sometimes I think I would space out and either one of my horses or one of the coyotes would give me a nudge or lick and I would wake up.

Jim stared at Laura in shock. He could hardly believe it, she understood! She knew what was going on and the feeling of similarity between them was real. Then he said the hardest words he had ever had to say in his life. "My senses do the same thing but it's not a coyote I hallucinate about it's a black jaguar." He whispered knowing full well that she could hear him.

I was lost in Peru for eighteen months after my helicopter crashed killing everyone else on board but me. My senses went nuts after that. This Chopec tribe of Indians there found me and the shaman helped me control things. However, when I was rescued they went away after a while. Luckily, before they locked me away in a rubber room. Now they have come back again." He scrubbed his hand thru his short hair and down his face.

He turned and looked at Laura and was surprised to find her smiling at him.

"So you fading out on me was what I looked like when I spaced out on the trail." She laughed and continued, "The animals must have thought I was nuts taking nap at inappropriate times."

"I think you give the animals to much credit for intelligence." He replied stiffly.

"Ya know, sometimes the animals are the only ones that make any senses in this world of ours." She answered him soothingly rubbing her hand over his arm. "You don't see them killing each other over the color of their skin or the god they worship or their sneakers do ya?"

"That's true; it was a lot simpler in the jungle." He added as if he was giving up.

"Well now that we have that settled and we both can do strange things, let's see if we can use it to gather enough evidence at the Water Rock site to catch us some pothunters." Laura said giving Jim the impression she was plotting evilly behind her large grin.

"Sounds good to me. But I don't know how to get my senses to do what I want when I want." Jim growled. "Can you?"

"No. So, I guess we will just have to work together and figure them out. I did learn something useful out on the trail though, you cannot force them or they go berserk. So, we just need to use them slowly and careful." She replied happily.

"Damn, the coyotes are still here waiting on me." She said in frustration as she pointed them out in the distance.

TBC


	6. Coyote Talks chp 6

7

Coyote Talks

**Title**: Coyote Talks

**Author**: Lady Bethia

**Series**: Partnership Series

**E-Mail**: Page: http/groups. PG

**Warnings**:

**Disclaimers**: I do not own the Sentinel or the X-Men. I am just borrowing the characters and abilities from Pet Fly Productions. In addition, I promise to return them in good order maybe. I am making no money off this either it's just for fun. Thanks to Susan Foster for getting me hooked on Sentinel/X-Men crossovers. This is the beginning where Blair and Jim first meet. It is set in an AU where the X-Men exist as well. Though in this story there will be no mention of the X-Men. Dr. Phil Shannon, and the Indians named are my characters.

**Summary**: Blair begins his training as a Shaman with the burial of Daniel Harris

COYOTE TALKS

Chapter 6: Deep Thoughts

The day was partly cloudy and cool at the sacred burial grounds in the small canyon in the southern part of the reservation. The air was filled with the sounds of drums and voices singing the death chant.

Blair, Dr. Stoddard and Dr. Shannon were on the outside edge of the burial party. Blair stood with Sandy watching the funeral because it was his right as a tribal member and as an apprentice Shaman for the tribe. The professors were invited as a curtsey.

Shaman Harris was dressed in full Ute Shaman regalia as was the tiny body of his beloved son. The little boy was dressed all in soft white doe skin. Around his neck was a silver and turquoise necklace and about his waist was a matching belt.

The ceremony was solemn and beautiful.

------------

The Harris family and close friends were about to retire to share a meal and stories, while the rest of the funeral party began to leave to give the family their privacy. But before the parties separated entirely the ex-wife of Shaman Harris approached Blair and thanked him for bringing her son home to them. "Thank you for bringing my little one back. Your father would be very proud of you. He was a good boy. I never blamed him."

Blair looked almost devastated by this and mumbled, "I wish I could have done more."

"That was not your job young Shaman." She replied with a strained smile.

Sandy took Blair by the arm, led him to her truck and headed off the reservation.

"Where are we going Sandy?" Blair asked as he fiddled with the anthropological journal that was in his lap.

Blair had not been his usual excited self in fact he had been quite subdued and almost withdrawn since finding the body of the small boy impaled on the stakes of the trap that protected the graves of the last Triad and Sandy was beginning to worry about him. He seemed constantly on the verge of a panic attack.

"We are going into Durango to a little Italian restaurant that I love. I thought it best for you to get away for a bit. I know finding the body of Daniel was hard on you. But it was a good thing in that the son of the one who lost his best friend should be the one to bring him home again." Sandy gently explained.

Blair looked over at Sandy and said, "I'm sorry. I just can't help but think about how two little boys had simply gone out one day to play and because some adult viciously set up a trap, one little boy was killed and another scarred for the remainder of his life by being blamed for the other child's disappearance. Worst of all a man's life became bitter and hate filled due to the disappearance of his beloved child. He even lost the rest of his family in the end."

Sandy reached out and patted his arm in sympathy. "He drove the rest of his family away as well as some very good friends but that is not what I am worried about right now. I know it is hard for you. This type of event is one of the hardest for a Shaman; we feel the pain for and with the tribe. We must try to understand and or correct the things that have gone wrong to prevent it from happening again. Furthermore, we must help the people through their pain and teach them to feel the pain as part of the natural process of life. Your reactions and feelings serve you well. They show that our choice to teach you as shaman were a wise one."

They arrived at the restaurant just before the early dinner crowd and were seated right away. Sandy and Blair exchanged very little in the way of conversation during their meal. Furthermore, Blair seemed to be just moving his food around his plate rather than eating it. When it was time to leave Blair stood by awkwardly as Sandy paid the bill. As they approached the truck Blair asked, "Sandy do you think we will ever find out who set that pit trap?"

"I don't know." She said and then paused for a moment. "I hope who ever it was is dead because I think that Chuck would probably kill them if they are still alive."

"Oh!" Blair exclaimed in fear.

"Don't worry we will be keeping a close eye on him. Please just stay out of his way." She answered shaking her grey head in dismay. "Sam will be staying with him once the family is gone as well."

Blair looked even more concerned than before. "Do you think he might commit suicide or worst come after me?" Blair whispered in horror.

"Yes, we are worried about that. We will be watching him closely for that as well. Sam is his best friend and will take good care of him." Sandy admitted.

"Harris will not come after you. However, I think that his grudge will change. He will no longer hate you for being the child his child never had to the one who brought the pain back of the loss of his son. Hate is very much like love once you have it deep seated within your very soul you are not likely to give it up easily if ever." She stated regretfully.

------------

The next morning Blair awoke to gentle knocking on the bedroom door. "Yes, uh. Could you wait a minute?" He mumbled at the door as he reached for his glasses.

"Of course Blair, I just wanted to tell you that you have a visitor. We will be having coffee in the kitchen and waiting breakfast for you." Sandy stated.

"Coffee? Thanks." Blair stumbled out of bed and into the bathroom for a quick shower and shave.

Blair dashed into the kitchen and came to a screeching halt. At the kitchen table was Sam Red Deer, he was just putting down his coffee as Blair came barreling in. "What is wrong with you that you have only two speeds – stop and run? You are not a child. As someone who must prepare to become a Shaman much less an Animal Shaman, you must learn control. You are entirely too hyperactive. This will not please your Warrior in fact it may even harm him." The Shaman scolded him while he crossing his arms across his chest. "You must show more dignity and restraint as a Guiding Shaman."

"I'm sorry sir." Blair mumbled at the Shaman. Blair could feel the dislike that was being projected at him by the Shaman. "What can I do for you?" He asked as he took his plate from Sandy and sat down across from the Shaman.

"John and I want to take you back out to the canyons and see if the Great Spirit will lead you into finding anything else out there of danger or importance." Sam replied. "It is said that a true Animal Shaman can find the path to knowledge that others can not see."

"Great! Sandy and I were planning to go after breakfast." Blair said happily, as he dove into his breakfast now that his appetite had returned with the news that it was all right for him to go back out the canyons and that the Shaman were going to help this time.

"No." Sam ordered as he looked at Sandy. "Sandy will not be going with us. We have some training we wish to start with you. We will be here to pick you up in thirty minutes." Sam stood and left without saying goodbye.

"Sigh. Sam you are a pig headed mule." Sandy whispered after Sam walked out the door. "Sorry Blair."

"Why can't you come?" Worriedly Blair asked his Aunt. "I didn't get you into some kind of trouble did I?"

"Shamanic training within our tribe is divided according to sex. What they want to start with you today is obviously one of the secrets they wish to keep though there is nothing that they teach or do that I have not done or know about." She stated solemnly but with a faint smile. "But I will let them think as they will. The younger generation is more tolerant than they are. Jim, John's son and you will probably hit it off real well. Listen to John and Jim for the real substance of things. But as I have said before, I will train you as well because I have some of the knowledge of the Animal Shaman that Chuck and the others were never given."

"How is it you learned the male shamanic ways if they are that closely kept?" Blair asked curiously.

"My father was a Shaman and my mother was a Medicine Woman. They shared their entire lives together with no secrets between them. The sharing of the sacred knowledge lead both my parents into becoming far greater than they could ever have been without doing so and the stronger for it. The tribe benefited greatly." Sandy shook her head sadly thinking of her long dead parents.

Blair smiled and said, "Thank you Sandy for all you have done for me. I will not let you or our people down."

"Good that is all any teacher can hope for from her favorite student." Sandy replied while she ruffled his long curly hair. Changing the subject she said, "My daughters would have killed to have such beautiful hair. Sigh. You better go the others will not like it is you to keep them waiting."

Blair blushed ducked his head stood up and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and left.

"Blair what we will be teaching you is our most Sacred Traditions and Beliefs. Please respect our wishes when we ask you not talk publicly of these things to people who may not respect the Ute ways and us. We know that this will be hard for you since you were raised in the outside world as will your very profession." Sam requested most strongly.

Taking a deep breath, Blair plunged in with what he hoped was his most respectful tone. "As an Anthropologist, I have been very well instructed in both discretion and respect towards other people's customs and beliefs. I will not dishonor my family's ways and I will take my Shamanic training seriously. I have always felt drawn to something and during my studies discovered that something to be sentinels. I will do what ever is necessary to study and help modern sentinels."

------------

The group spent the entire day out in the canyons. Blair was unable to hear or feel anything like he had the other day when he had found Daniel. However, the good news for Blair was not that he did not find any more pit traps, dead children or secret caves but that John was a great teacher and answered Blair's endless questions with almost as much enthusiasm as Blair himself. Furthermore, Blair was slowly making Sam see that he was not someone that should be automatically scorned. Blair was proving to them that he was a serious real scholar that only wanted to learn and teach. Sam still felt he had a long way to go considering his wild and loose white hippy up bringing but he had potential nonetheless.

On their way, back to the village Sam intoned gravely, "Tomorrow and for the next three days you will fast and prepare for the cleansing at which time you must decide if the path of the Shaman is really the one for you."

Blair thought hard about that statement and just as he was getting out of the truck, he replied. "I understand Shaman. I am taking this matter very seriously. I will meditate on the choices I will have to make in the future concerning this path. Good night."

"Good night Blair." John answered while Sam just nodded his head.

Once inside Sandy's small house Blair let out a sigh of relief. He felt like he had just finished a final exam one that he had not known about much less studied for it. Nevertheless, even with all of that, it still felt right like he had passed by some miracle and everything would be ok.

"Ah, you're back finally. I thought they were going to keep you out all night." Sandy said as she smiled and got up to go into the kitchen.

"I saved you some dinner. Come on sit down and eat. Starting tomorrow you're going to be hungry for the next few days." She added.

"How did you know?" Blair asked as he grabbed a biscuit and popped it into his mouth.

"Have they enthralled you so soon that you have forgot that I to know the way of the shaman small one." She grinned slyly at him.

"Cough cough cough! Don't do that to me I almost choked." Blair mumbled around his mouth full of food. "I'm sorry. I think I'm…overwhelmed but in a good way I think." He said as he stared at his plate. His belly was full of growling butterflies so he was unsure if he was hungry or just scared.

"Silly one take it easy. You have nothing to fear. I will still be teaching you as well." She served him his plate and sat down next to him. "Everything will be alright. By the way, I had a dream last night. I saw a guardian warrior and a woman who I could not see clearly. They will be here soon." Sandy stated.

"Does soon have a date?" Blair asked jokingly as he smiled from ear to ear excited to hear that the Sentinel would be there soon.

"No but it will be this summer that I do know." She replied.

"After dinner I want you to go straight to bed. I have hung several packets of herbs around your room – leave them alone. They are for protection as well as to promote the opening of your mind to the spirit world. You should sleep very well tonight. Later I will teach you how to make them." Sandy got up, patted Blair on the head, and walked out of the kitchen.

"I hope so. I think I am really going to need all the help I can get to get any sleep tonight." Blair said to himself as he ate his dinner in peace his nerves finally deciding to calm down and relax.


	7. Coyote Talks chp 7

7

Coyote Talks

**Title**: Coyote Talks

**Author**: Lady Bethia

**Series**: Partnership Series

**E-Mail**: Page: http/groups. PG

**Warning**: Some adult language.

**Disclaimers**: I do not own the Sentinel or the X-Men. I am just borrowing the characters and abilities from Pet Fly Productions. And I promise to return them in good order maybe. I am making no money off this either it's just for fun. Thanks to Susan Foster for getting me hooked on Sentinel/X-Men crossovers. This is the beginning where Blair and Jim first meet. It is set in an AU where the X-Men exist as well. However, in this story there will be no mention of the X-Men.

**Summary**: Stupid thieves.

COYOTE TALKS

Chapter 7: Of Pots and Pictographs

Laura pulled the 4x4 up near the north side of a 30-foot tall jumble of rocks. "Welcome to Water Rock." She said as she got out.

"The hole is on the other side of the rocks. And since I don't see anything disturbed on this side I figure it is the safest place to park and not damage any evidence." She commented. Her camera now secure around her neck.

They walked carefully around the formation until they came to the hole. "Jim since you're more familiar with this sort of thing can you help me find all the perps tracks so we can take all the pictures we need as evidence. I'll start with the hole while you look around." She asked while she took the camera out of its case.

"Yeah sure." He replied. He quickly found where the pothunters had recently parked their truck or SUV. Zeroing in on all the tracks, he began to feel himself drifting away just as Laura began to question him. Her voice yanked him back from the void with a start.

"Jim from around the hole it looks like three people. What do you think?" Laura inquired as she photographed some close up shots of hiking boot prints.

He shook his head to clear it. "Yes, it was three. One was smaller and lighter than the other two." He replied professionally.

"Maybe two men and one woman or a boy?" asked Laura.

"I would say so. Can we climb up the rocks?" Jim asked as he pointed up and behind them. He wanted to get a bird's eye view of the area and see if there were any more holes dug further out from the rocks.

"Yeah sure, I wanted to check them out carefully in case the pothunters tampered with them as well. Besides, you never know we may find more pictoglyph or markings than the couple that are obvious and known." She said as she walked over to him to take pictures of the tracks that Jim found.

"Ok I got my pictures lets go." She said as she led him to the trail up the backside of the rock formation. Carefully she climbed until she reached a large flat rock half way up. Pointing to the spring that was flowing between the boulders, "Jim here is the spring. The spring flows year round. Look here is a pictoglyph; it is the symbol for water." Laura showed Jim. "The Anasazi didn't have a written language like the Aztec or the Mayan. But, they did leave us pictoglyphs, pueblos and some great cliff dwelling that archeologists will be going through and studying for decades if and when they get sufficient funding."

Jim listened to Laura's soothing voice, as he looked for signs of damage further up on the rock mound and out from it. He was also looking for further signs left from the long dead Indians of the area that seemed to fascinate Laura so.

"Wow! Jim! Come over here I found a hidden pictoglyph and you have got to see it!" Laura exclaimed.

Laura's excited shout startled Jim who jumped over and around to where Laura was crouched down staring at the side of one of the boulders. She had cleared away some of the weeds and small bushes that had grown up in from of it. On the rock was a pictoglyph of the Kokopeli only this one was unique. It was an obviously pregnant female but drawn in classic Kokopeli style with flute and hunched back.

"Wow a female Kokopeli. I have only seen or heard of them being male. I hope this is authentic. There has only been one other strange Kokopeli ever discovered. It has an oversized red eye painted on it and his head is a strange shape. It is over at one of the hidden canyons in Utah." Laura said in a hushed voice full of awe.

"What's so special about this one? I have seen the other kind on necklaces and other southwestern jewelry." Jim asked curiously about them.

"It's female. The Kokopeli is either a shaman who travels around or a god depending on the interpretation. The shaman was a storyteller, musician, magician, healer and teacher. The god is of the harvest, fertility and knowledge. His hunched back is full of seeds for planting or songs for singing. He is the bringer of springtime. However, no matter if he was a man or god he was always welcome because of the news he delivered as well as his music, medicine and the perceived increase in fertility of the plants, animal and people after every visit.

"Why did he play a flute?" Jim asked.

"If you traveled around in the southwest or Mexico to other villages you carried a flute. Once you knew you were near a village you would play the flute to tell the villagers you were coming and that you were friendly." Laura finished her mini lecture.

"Ok I'm going back over here to see if I can find any more of these pictures for you. And by the way I didn't see any more holes or disturbed places further out from the formation." Jim said as he moved back up and around the rocks leaving Laura to photograph her find. Having caught the feeling of excitement about Laura's discovery he started to search in earnest for more pictoglyphs. After about ten minutes Jim yelled in excitement, "Laura come over here I found something!"

Laura bounced up the rocks like a mountain goat and was quickly by his side. Behind some Mormon tea bushes, Jim had found a pictoglyph of two triangles one had a coyote – wolf – big cat pictured in each of the corners and the other triangle had a warrior and two Kokopeli – one male and the other female like the one Laura found.

"Wow this is great!" Laura exclaimed. "I have got to get some archeologists down here right away to look at these." She flung her arms around Jim and gave him a big hug.

Jim, caught up in her excitement over the discovery, hugged her back instead of stiffening and pulling away as was his usual response to unasked for physical displays of affection.

After they parted and Laura got several pictures taken, Jim spun around and looked towards the west. Laura too stood and stared in the direction he was facing.

"Damn. They are coming back." Laura said. "Want to catch some bad guys Jim?" She asked with a sly grin spreading across her face.

"Colorado is not even close to my jurisdiction Laura." Jim stated wondering what she was up too.

"No but I work here and we have 'no trespassing' signs up all over and they are trespassing. Furthermore, I am here to protect this place and the artifacts of the ancients are very important historically. Besides we can arrest them as private citizens." Laura said looking amused.

"Right, 'Citizens arrest'. I **hate** the paperwork for those." Jim groaned as he shook his head and started down towards the 4x4 with Laura in tow.

Laura pulled her rifle out of the truck. "How do you want to handle this?" She asked looking ready for action.

"I'll go around and wait on the west side and you stay on the east. I will approach them first; you stay hidden until I tell you it is safe to come out. And no heroics." Jim ordered as he headed off.

"Wait. Let them get out of the SUV and over to the site. I want to get some pictures of them. I want them caught in the act." Laura held up her camera to emphasize her point.

"Yes." Jim growled darkly and smiled. He nod approving of her plan and moved out. She plans well this hunt should be successful. The Sentinel thought.

Laura felt something deep within her stir. It felt good to hunt the ones who would damage the sacred places. This one was a capable warrior; he would be a good mate. She thought to herself as she turned to search the area for her coyote pack. Finding them near by but not in danger, she headed for the spot to wait for the hunt to being. Laura never even questioned her strange primitive thoughts.

Patiently the two waited for the SUV to approach Water Rock. The thieves parked right where they had parked before and got out.

"Joe get the shovel and Tanya get the bag in the floor board." The largest of the two men ordered.

Joe opened the back, pulled out several tools, and carried them to the hole while Tonya carried a burlap sack of stuff to the hole as well.

"Jim I got the pictures." Laura whispered. She dropped her camera gently on the ground, picked up her rifle, and prepared to back Jim up.

"FREEZE POLICE!" Jim shouted as he came out of hiding with his gun out.

Joe tried to run back to the SUV while the other unnamed man started to pull a gun from his waistband. The woman screamed and turned to run back to the SUV as well.

"FREEZE!" Laura yelled at seeing the gun. She cocked and fired her rifle into the air to show the thieves they were out gunned and surrounded.

"Shit!" yelled the unnamed man who dropped his gun and kicked it way.

"Jason what do we do?" whined the woman.

Joe just stopped and placed his hands in the air.

"Surrender would be my suggestion." Laura stated.

Jim called instructions to the three one by one. "Place your hands above your head. Interlace your fingers and put your hands palms up on the top of your head. Kneel down and cross your legs at your ankles."

Jim then read them the Miranda warning after they were placed where Jim wanted them. Laura picked up the gun the man named Tom dropped before she went to the woman to search her. Laura quickly and efficiently did her search while Jim guarded them and then Jim searched the two men while Laura stood guard.

"Laura get on the radio and get the Sheriff out here." He ordered.

"Sure thing." Laura said as she left for her truck, which she moved to the east side of Water Rock closer to the thieves.

"The Sheriff is on his way as are Henry and the Owners." Laura reported. "Until then we might as well make ourselves comfortable."

"My mother is Councilwoman Paulette Morton-Lawler of Cortez and we will have you jailed for impersonating a police office! You will never work in Colorado again, you bitch! My family will eat you alive," screamed the leader of this motley crew, Jason according to his driver's license.

"I think you should take to heart the part in the Miranda where it says that you could and in this case should remain silent." Laura replied. Nevertheless, the fool just kept up his tirade about what his mother was going to do to them.

The Sheriff got on site about an hour after the bust.

"Damn girl do you think you could have gotten the Pope or the President instead of that No-account Jason Lawler. His mother is on the town counsel for Christ sake." He said as he looked at the three pothunters.

"No they were busy. And I know all about his mother, he has been bitching and moaning about how-when-where I am going to die and how much fun he is going to have watching and participating." Laura replied sarcastically.

"Furthermore, Sheriff dear." Mrs. Kenny added.

"Yes Phyllis." The Sheriff answered while turning to face the owner of the Silver Dollar Ranch.

"Please get this trash off my lawn as soon as possible. Laura has a bunch of photos of the damage they did. And I expect justice to be served. They committed a crime and don't even think of dropping the charges because He is Paulette's son. She has walked the edge too long and you know it." Mrs. Kenny demanded.

"I know and I will do my best." Turning to Laura and Jim he growled, "I want you two down at the station right away as well. I want to know exactly what happened and why."

"Yes Sir," replied both at the same time.

"Mr. Kenny can I take the 4x4 into town? Laura asked.

"Of course Laura, call when your coming home we will save you two some dinner." Mr. Kenny answered.

"Thanks," Laura said as she smiled at the obviously pleased owners.

"Thank you," replied Jim politely.


	8. Coyote Talks chp 8

4

Coyote Talks

**Title**: Coyote Talks

**Author**: Lady Bethia

**Series**: Partnership Series

**E-Mail**: Page: http://groups. PG

**Warning**: None

**Disclaimers**: I do not own the Sentinel or the X-Men. I am just borrowing the characters and abilities from Pet Fly Productions. And I promise to return them in good order maybe. I am making no money off this either it's just for fun. Thanks to Susan Foster for getting me hooked on Sentinel/X-Men crossovers. This is the beginning where Blair and Jim first meet. It is set in an AU where the X-Men exist as well. However, in this story there will be no mention of the X-Men.

**Summary**: Blair starts his real journey as a Shaman.

COYOTE TALKS

Chapter 8: Dream Catcher

Three days later, Blair immerged from the sweat lodge were he had been for the last 12 hours red and dripping with sweat. He was dressed in a traditional Ute loin cloth and his hair was tied back in a tight French braid.

The Shaman Sam came forward with a bucket of cool water and poured it over Blair. While, Shaman John came over with a dry towel and helped Blair dress in a clean loin cloth and shaman's traditional shirt that had been made for him. John painted Blair's face with ritual symbols that he had taught Blair were his power markings as well as ones for protection and guidance. Blair was then taken to the front of the cliff dwelling to pray and say good night to the sun before entering the great kiva.

As the sun set behind the mountains, apprentices lit several torches to light the front of the cliff dwelling. The hole in the ground that was the entrance to the great kiva was a square about 4 feet by 4 feet. It was situated in the center of the front ledge of the cliff dwelling. A traditional wood ladder of lodge pole pines and hemp rope was sticking out from the opening.

Blair walked over to the kiva entrance and climbed down the ladder. The kiva was a circle about 10 feet in diameter and 8 feet deep. At the back was a small square hole about 3 feet in diameter that was an entrance to be used when entering the kiva secretly. Near the front of the kiva there was a cepapo. This is a hole that symbolizes the entrance to the underworld or the next world. Also in the front and about 2 feet from the cepapo was a fire pit near the wall. A fire of fragrant woods and herbs was already lit giving the kiva another worldly feeling. The smoke from the fire began to relax Blair almost immediately.

Blair sat down on the little ledge that ran around the circumference of the kiva wall. Blair took a deep breath and started one of Ute prayer chants he had been taught.

After what seemed like only a few minutes, Blair heard a noise and saw a shaman standing at the back entrance of the kiva. It startled him making it seem as if the Shaman had appeared out of thin air which was what had been intended in design of that entrance. Blair peered at the shaman trying to figure out which one he was but he could not see his face very well. It was then that Blair noticed that he was light headed from the smoke.

The old shaman sat down across from Blair and asked, "Why are you here young shaman?"

"To have my dream quest to start my journey as a shaman as well as to find my guardian warrior." He answered the shaman that he did not recognize respectfully.

"The Warriors and a little Shaman come as does great confusion and danger. But your quest is not about them it is about yourself and your choices. Look into the pot of water at your feet and see your dreams." The shaman instructed Blair.

Blair looked down quickly at his feet and was surprised by the site of a bowl that had not been there when he entered the kiva.

The world faded away as Blair looked deep into the water.

Blair was standing on the edge of a cliff staring about at the beauty what is the high desert of the New Mexico and Colorado boarder, when suddenly the peaceful beauty was shattered by the screams of a terrorfied horse. The horse was a beautiful black and white pinto and it was running straight for the cliff.

Blair did know what to do. Out of nowhere, a coyote stepped into view and tried to stop the running horse from going over the cliff. But the horse just went around him. In the horse's side was a broken spear. A wolf and black panther appeared just before the coyote could follow the horse to its death. The wolf and panther tackled the coyote and pinned it to the ground.

Blair woke with a start.

The Shaman across from him looked sad. "Loss is in the future for all of you but also a great miracle as well. Look again in the water young shaman."

The world faded away again and this time he saw Cascade. He was standing in a park that he did not recognize. Facing north, Blair saw a building that had been severely damaged by an explosion. Civilians, police and medical people were directing the chaos or running about trying to help the injured and collecting the dead.

Behind him, he heard someone crying. Blair turned around and saw a man on his knees crying and repeating, "I didn't do enough and now she is dead. If I had only left her in Colorado she wouldn't be dead."

Blair again came back into himself with a start.

The Shaman stared at Blair for a few more minutes and then said. "You must follow your Warrior as well as lead him. Look one last time in the water."

Blair was again in Cascade but this time he saw his mother holding a baby under a shade tree and the man who had been crying before was playing in the sun with two other small children one about two and the other maybe four. The baby and the smallest toddler had Blair's hair while the oldest girl was blonde.

A car drove up and a tall statque blonde got out and walked towards them and Blair sensed great danger. He ran up to his mother and pulled her over to the other man and the two little girls.

The man demanded that the woman leave but she kept saying she had a right to see her daughter no matter what. She then pulled out a gun and a shot rang out.

Blair cried out in fear as he awoke.

"The future is not set young one. What you have seen here may or may not come to fruition. You must choose wisely and follow you heart. There will be mistakes but never give up." The Shaman said and then disappeared while sitting across from Blair.

Blair was exhausted and wish for bed when he saw a small square of light on the floor. Raising his head up, Blair saw that morning had come and he could now leave the kiva. He got up like an old man and staggered over to the ladder and climbed up to where the shamans were waiting for him with food and drink.

No one talked while they lead Blair to a small table and fed him fry bread with honey and tea. And Blair was too tired to reply even if they had. After eating, Blair was careful lead out of the cliff dwelling and down to the trucks. He fell asleep almost as fast as he laid his head against the back of the seat.

"Blair wake up we are at you grandmother's house. Once inside you can sleep all you want, come on Blair." Shaman Sam said gently.

Blair went in and crashed out on his bed and slept a dreamless sleep.


	9. Coyote Talks Chp 9

8

Coyote Talks

**Title**: Coyote Talks

**Author**: Lady Bethia

**Series**: Partnership Series

**E-Mail**: Page: http://groups. PG

**Warning**: Some adult language.

**Disclaimers**: I do not own the Sentinel or the X-Men. I am just borrowing the characters and abilities from Pet Fly Productions. And I promise to return them in good order maybe. I am making no money off this either it's just for fun. Thanks to Susan Foster for getting me hooked on Sentinel/X-Men crossovers. This is the beginning where Blair and Jim first meet. It is set in an AU where the X-Men exist as well. However, in this story there will be no mention of the X-Men.

**Summary**: Jim and Laura have an unfortunate run in with the Councilwoman Paulette Morton-Lawler.

COYOTE TALKS

Chapter 9: Trouble Your Name Is Sentinel

"Sheriff, Detective Ellison and I will follow you down to the station. I want to get these statements over with so I can get back to my nice comfortable bed that I haven't seen in ten days." Laura said as she turned in the direction of the ranch and the alluded to bed.

Both were quiet as they started out after the Sheriff, his deputies and the thieves. After turning off of the dusty gravel driveway and on to the main road Laura asked Jim, "You're not mad at me for getting you involved with this are you?" She looked over at him sitting next to her. He appeared so tense and sullen.

"No, you needed back up and I was there. Besides I wanted away from MJ she was driving me nuts. I don't know how you can stand all that chattering and pestering all the time." Jim answered her in annoyance.

"I don't mind at all. She's my best friend. I'll tell her to lay off with you though. The other guests seem to like being the center of our attention. We are both trying real hard to make it work out here because we can't go home." Laura told Jim with a heavy sigh.

"Why," asked Jim as his cop instincts went on high alert.

"MJ went to work for the wrong company in Memphis and got outed as a mutant. After that they tried to kill her, I stopped their assassin and began helping the Memphis police try to bring them down. They were behind a lot of murders, rapes and kidnappings of people all over the county." Laura stated as she flexed and tightened her grip on the steering wheel.

Jim sensed that there was a lot more to it than that and asked. "If you were helping the police why can't you go back?"

"Did you hear about the Nuzan-Tech Corporation in Memphis? They were a front for the FOH-Friends of Humanity whose main goal is the purification of the human race of mutants by any means necessary." Laura said with a quiver in her voice.

"Shit! I heard about that it was a freaking mess, twenty-seven cops injured and three dead! The death toll would have been higher if it wasn't for an undercover cop that brought the whole thing down." Jim said as he looked at Laura more closely.

"They stated to the general public that the undercover operative was a cop to protect me. I was shot three times while protecting two cops that would have died after being gunned down by those deranged monsters. The two officers' job when they went in was simply to get to me and get me out safely and instead I ended up doing the gun fight at the OK Corral down a corridor. By the time the cops on the other end of the corridor and I mowed down all the psychos between us I was dry firing at the cops in a zone." Laura started to shake as the memories came flooding back.

"I spent ten days in the hospital. The police paid for everything as well as arranged for me to get several rewards for the people I helped kill or capture. It was all they could do to repay me considering I was now out of work and injured. Furthermore, it would have been impossible for me to get unemployment from my job at Nuzan-Tech seeing that I worked there for less than two months and was there to shut down the company to begin with." Laura concluded trailing off in silence.

"I was in on the bust of the Nuzan-Tech Corp. in my city about three weeks later. They had several kids in cages waiting to be experimented on. We also captured three serial killers that had been hired to do the director's dirty work. And we found their connection to the FOH too. We rounded up over 123 people on various charges. Washington State is now one of five states that have outlawed Eugenics and all hate groups like FOH from operating in any capacity legally in the state." Jim acknowledged.

"Well Nuzan-Tech Corp. International as a company is going under completely. They have lost almost everything they own. All their assets have been frozen and they are being sued to death as is the FOH." I am keeping in touch with some people who are trying to bring in sensible laws concerning mutants and mutant accidents." Laura turned the corner in to the Sheriff's station parking lot while waiting for Jim's opinion on that little bomb shell. Some cops just wanted to kill or jail mutants when their powers came on line not realizing that the kids had no control over what was happening to them and mainly just needed help not abuse or blame for accidents their powers cause.

"Well let's get this over with." Jim growled as he opened the door to the jeep and got out.

Laura watched him not knowing what to think. She knew Jim was angry and a little bit frightened but she didn't know why. "Jim waited for me," she asked as she ran to catch up with him. "What's wrong? Are you mad at me?"

"No." He replied as he placed his hand on the door knob.

Laura reached over to keep him from opening the door. "Jim come over here and talk to me please. What is wrong you're scaring me here?" She pleaded.

With disgust plastered all over his face he replied with a growl, "No one but my boss knows I am a freak."

"You are not a freak you're a mutant like me. And if you don't want anyone to know I can be trusted to remain silent. All you had to do was tell me damn it, I thought something was seriously wrong and you almost had me freaked out." Laura growled back.

"As if that isn't serious enough!" He shouted.

"Don't yell at me. We will discuss your problem with being a mutant later but right now we need to put some scumbags in jail so please quite acting like a pissed off jerk." Laura turned and head back over to the door.

Jim turned off his attitude took a deep breath and counted to ten. He straightened his shoulders and headed toward the door that Laura was holding open for him. He glowered at her and she barred her teeth at him chuckled with menace and ducked into the front desk area.

Jim followed her in confusion.

"Hello my name is Laura Brandon and this is Jim Ellison. We need to give our statements to the Sheriff concerning the pothunters he just brought in." Laura said to the middle aged woman behind the reception desk.

The receptionist at the desk looked at her in awe and said, "You're the one that did the citizens arrest on Jason Lawler!"

"Yes, where do we go please," Laura said with impatience.

Three hours later both Jim and Laura had given their statements and were leaving when they heard a commotion in the reception area.

"I do not care that the judge is in Durango and can not be notified of this until tomorrow! I want my son released now and I want the one responsible for his being in jail put behind bars until they rot!" The City Council Woman screamed.

"I want to talk to the Sheriff this instant DO YOU HEAR ME YOU STUPID COW!" She yelled at the receptionist.

"Councilwoman Paulette Morton-Lawler you will stop yelling in my station or I will have you arrested for disorderly conduct!" shouted the Sheriff as he walked down the hall to meet the irate Councilwoman.

"I will have your badge for this you you…" She stuttered to a stop as he yelled back at her.

"No you won't. Your authority is very very limited ma'am and you have over stepped you rights. Get out of my station your son will see the judge tomorrow and no amount of hollering will make it happen sooner." The Sheriff growled as he glared down at the offending woman.

"You will be sued for harassment and so will this department. My son is innocent and you're just doing this to get back at me." She spat and stormed out.

"Wow so that is the Goddess we are all suppose to bow down too just because she is a council woman." Laura said snidely as she approached the Sheriff.

"Yes unfortunately and you are going to be her primary target." The Sheriff warned.

"I can take care of myself Sheriff. She just better remember to stay on the right side of the law or she will find herself behind bars with her son." Laura intoned solemnly.

Laura and Jim got in the jeep and headed back to the ranch. As soon as they got there they knew there was trouble. Three large black cars were in the driveway and you could hear people yelling from outside. Laura waved for Jim to follow her around to the side of the house. Once inside, she headed straight for the telephone and called the Sheriff's cell phone number that he had given her just in case of emergency.

"Sheriff this is Laura Brandon. There are several people here at the ranch and they are screaming and threatening the Kenny's and when they find out Jim and I are back I expect they will try to threaten us." She whispered into the phone.

"I will be there right away. Don't go anywhere near them until I get there." The Sheriff said as he hung up.

Laura then started to make a second call.

"Who are you calling now Laura?" Jim asked.

"I am calling the Cortez Herald. I want the newspaper here to catch that woman terrorizing good citizens." She said as she waited for the phone to be picked up on the other end.

"Hello Cortez Herald how can we help you?" said the cheery voice on the other end.

"Hello today I helped catch Jason Lawler in the act of pot-hunting with two of his friends. They have been arrested and are in jail. His mother the Councilwoman Paulette Morton-Lawler came over to the station demanding and screaming that her son was to be released. She screamed at the Sheriff and he had to threaten her with arrest for disorderly conduct to get her out of the station because her son could not see the judge till tomorrow and that would be the earliest he could be released. She is now over at the Silver Dollar Dude Ranch screaming and threatening the owners on whose land he was caught digging. The sheriff is on his way." Laura said all in a rush.

"I got it we will be right there. And thanks for the tip." The lady said as she hung up.

"Shit why in the hell did you do that for?" Jim snarled at Laura.

Laura smiled as she said, "Because I want witnesses. This woman is threatening my friends. Soon she will be threatening us. And we are witnesses to the crime that her son committed. I want this power hungry bitch to go down. She has no right to threaten anyone. Her son is a criminal and I bet if we scratch the surface just a little bit we will find out just how big a criminal he is. Furthermore, I know that she has known about it all along and has been protecting him with her position on the council."

"You're getting the press to push her over the edge and into showing what other illegal things she or her son have been up to. Sneaky." Jim said as he analyzed Laura's actions.

"Yes, I think there maybe more behind this than just a little pot hunting. I hate politicians besides I think this woman may actually try something illegal against us like having someone vandalize our property or even hurt us. She seems that crazy to me." Laura stopped and began to listen closely to what was happening in the next room.

The sounds coming from the other room change abruptly and then all hell hit the fan. The door flew open and in stormed the Councilwoman. She started to immediately verbally attack us upon recognizing us from the Sheriff's station. "You two! It was you who had my son arrested illegally. I am going to tear you apart. You won't be able to work in this state ever again because you will be so far under the jail no one will ever be able to find you!"

"You will stay away from us. Threatening witnesses is a crime and I have called the Sheriff and he is on the way right now." Laura said in a deep growl.

"BITCH!" She yelled as she came toward us.

Jim pulled his gun and yelled back, "Freeze you're under arrest for attempted assault and intimidation of witnesses."

The Councilwoman stopped and snarled and spun to leave but Jim grabbed her by the arm and pushed her against the wall. "Call the Sheriff station again and find out where he is now!" He ordered. But before Laura could dial the sound of sirens filled the air.

"I'll go get him." Laura said. As she left one of the Councilwomen's goons saw Jim holding her against the wall with a gun.

"What the hell is going on? Drop the gun or I will blow your fucking head off!" Her guard shouted. He had been on the other side of the door to keep anyone from helping Laura and Jim in the kitchen.

"I am a police officer and she threatened us and I have arrested her and unless you want the Sheriff to blow your head off I suggest you put your gun down now." Jim demanded.

"George Hallister put the gun on the floor and kick it to me NOW!" ordered the Sheriff.

"But he has a gun pointed at the Councilwoman's head." Hallister replied.

"He is a detective and if he drew his weapon on Paulette he had good reason too." The Sheriff stated.

"No the bastard does not. They attacked me. And he threw me against the wall and broke my wrist. Arrest him and call an ambulance!" She screamed and cried.

The kitchen was silent except for the crying of the Councilwoman.

"Sheriff do you take custody of the prisoner?" Jim asked formally.

"Yes." The Sheriff said as he walked up to Paulette searched her and handcuffed her behind her back. "I know your wrist is not broken and now you will spend some quality time with your no account son in jail."

Just as everyone was being herded out side the reporters show up and questions and picture flashes explode.

Later after everyone that was not suppose to be on the ranch left, Laura and MJ walked Jim over to the guest bunk house. "Jim I am sorry for all the trouble. Tonight MJ, George and I were supposed to go into Durango to my favorite Japanese restaurant but because of all this mess we will have to do it tomorrow would you like to go please?" Laura asked sincerely.

"Yeah that sounds good." Jim replied with a tired smile.

Laura brightened up and said, "You'll really like it if you like oriental food. See you tomorrow."


End file.
